There are no laboratory facilities that are necessary for diagnosing and treating typhoid fever in Sierra Leone and health care professionals diagnose patients based on their symptoms.
Also, other tests are excluded from the government’s Basic Package of Essential Health Services, according to the study titled: ‘The invisible burden: Diagnosing and combatting typhoid fever in Asia and Africa’ authored by Virginia E Pitzer et al. The study which was published in October highlights an improved surveillance of typhoid fever following the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic.
This resulted in more than 75 000 suspected cases of typhoid being recorded, the majority of which were diagnosed based on clinical signs and symptoms only.
Historical sources first mention typhoid fever in Sierra Leone in 1828. The disease is transmitted through contaminated water or food in that country.
This photo is solely for illustration purposes.
Focus on Waterborne Diseases 