A Survey on Knowledge and Awareness of Typhoid Among Children at Dhanmondi, Bangladesh

Abstract

Typhoid fever is a bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Salmonella typhi and is spread through contaminated food or water. The current study's objective was to evaluate the children in Dhanmondi, Bangladesh, in terms of knowledge, awareness and methods of treatment of typhoid. In total of 110 children from Dhanmodhi, Bangladesh, took part in a cross-sectional survey that was conducted in the community from January 2023 to April 2023. Information on socioeconomic characteristics and knowledge, awareness, treatment, and practice related to typhoid was gathered using a specific section of the questionnaire. The results of this study showed that, over 80% of survey participants had previously received a typhoid diagnosis, and about 77% of respondents said they were familiar with S. Typhoid. 70% of subjects reported having experienced severe typhoid. Typhoid affected 44% of people for more than 20 days, 31% for 20 days, and 25% for 15 days. Nearly 45% of respondents claimed to have weakness in addition to fever, and 28% claimed to have typhoid in addition to abdominal pain. The majority of participants (42%), however, think that typhoid is brought on by contaminated water and food. Participants' understanding of the typhoid bacteria is 58%. In terms of typhoid therapy, 29% and 49% of individuals, respectively, said they used antibiotics and antipyretics. This particular study contains an in-depth investigation of typhoid fever, which might be helpful in determining whether the healthcare professional should run an awareness campaign to help manage the disease in this region.