A Case Report of Enteric Fever Caused by Consumption of Lettuce

• Published in: Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2023-08, Vol.15 (8)
• Main Authors: Salih, Noman, Ullah, Izhar, Ullah, Hidayat, Ghani, Numan, Ihtisham, Muhammad
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abdomen; Analgesics; Antibiotics; Appetite; Back pain; Blood; Bone marrow; Cardiac arrhythmia; Case reports; Diarrhea; Fertilizers; Fever; Food contamination & poisoning; Gastroenterology; Heat; Hospitals; Infections; Infectious Disease; Internal Medicine; Laboratories; Lettuce; Leukocytes; Manures; Mortality; Salmonella; Tropical diseases; Typhoid
• ISSN: 2168-8184; 2168-8184
• DOI: 10.7759/cureus.42948

When Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi (S. Typhi) is present in the water, food supply, or both, it leads to the rapid development of typhoid fever. Because lettuce is an ideal host for S. Typhi's survival, lettuce grown in animal manure can be the probable source of typhoid fever. Prompt identification and proper antibiotic treatment can lessen the burden of typhoid fever on the public health system. A male farmer, age 29, was admitted to our hospital with a serious major complaint of abdominal pain, lack of appetite, and runny diarrhea. The newly hospitalized patient had a 2-week history of high-grade fever, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, watery diarrhea, back pain, and generalized body aches. Blood culture is the most accurate test for the diagnosis of typhoid fever. Blood culture was positive and showed sensitivity to ciprofloxacin and other drugs. To cure the typhoid, 500 mg of ciprofloxacin was administered twice daily for 7 days. Pathogenic components, species that are infected, and host immunity all play a role in typhoid fever pathogenesis. Typhoid fever is common in underdeveloped countries due to tainted food or hazardous water sources. This report's main goals are to draw attention to the significance of food safety procedures and to the potential dangers of consuming raw vegetables.