Microbe of the Week

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Microbe of the Week
Salmonella typhi Gram-negative, motile,
mesophilic enteric bacterium Causative agent of
typhoid fever (aka enteric fever
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Microbe of the Week
Salmonella typhi Gram-negative, motile,
mesophilic enteric bacterium Causative agent of
typhoid fever (aka enteric fever
3
Microbe of the Week
Salmonella typhi Gram-negative, motile,
mesophilic enteric bacterium Causative agent of
typhoid fever (aka enteric fever
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Sources
Humans are sole reservoir (does not infect
animals) Carriers may harbor the organism in
their gall bladder Contaminated food by
handlers (milk, sandwiches, meat, cake!) or
Contaminated water e.g. shellfish in polluted
waters Organism survives in shellfish up to 4
days, sea water up to 9 days, for weeks in
sewage Transmission mainly from water
contaminated with human waste or human carriers
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Typhoid Mary Sociological implications of
infectious disease
Typhoid Mary's real name was Mary Mallon.
Irish immigrant who made her living as a
cook Mallon was the first person found to be a
"healthy carrier" of typhoid fever in the United
States. She herself was not sick but over 30
of the bacteria in her feces were S. typhi Mallon
is attributed with infecting 47 people with
typhoid fever, three of whom died. Interred on a
N. Brother Island, NY for 26 years 1907-1910
1915- till her death in 1938
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Typhoid Mary Sociological implications of
infectious disease
Typhoid Mary's real name was Mary Mallon.
Irish immigrant who made her living as a
cook Mallon was the first person found to be a
"healthy carrier" of typhoid fever in the United
States. She herself was not sick but over 30
of the bacteria in her feces were S. typhi Mallon
is attributed with infecting 47 people with
typhoid fever, three of whom died. Interred on a
N. Brother Island, NY for 26 years 1907-1910
1915- till her death in 1938
7
Typhoid Mary Sociological implications of
infectious disease
Typhoid Mary's real name was Mary Mallon.
Irish immigrant who made her living as a
cook Mallon was the first person found to be a
"healthy carrier" of typhoid fever in the United
States. She herself was not sick but over 30
of the bacteria in her feces were S. typhi Mallon
is attributed with infecting 47 people with
typhoid fever, three of whom died. Interred on a
N. Brother Island, NY for 26 years 1907-1910
1915- till her death in 1938
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