A Study on the Epidemiological Picture in Typhoid Fever As Regards Cases in which the Salmonella Typhi was Demonstrated

Currently in Japan, annual numbers of reported cases of Typhoid fever have fallen below a level of 500 cases in a year. This corresponds to 1 % of the 1945 incidence. However the disease has not been eradicated completely and may have been possibility of outbreaks. As proposed countermeasures, a national central control system based on a new approach was established and classification by Salmonella typhi phage type was newly introduced in order to set up an organization for information control in interepidemic periods. As part of this system the author studied the current epidemiological picture of typhoid which now occurs sporadically in order to develop a basis for furture countermeasures. For the purposes only the cases from which Salmonella typhi isolated were investigated. Cases answering this purpse in 1967, 1968 and 1969 consisted of 129 carriers and 438 patients among a total 754. As a result of analysis of their epidemiological data, the following conclusions were drawn. Future countermeasures for typhoid control will require a better scientific grasp of Salmonella typhi as well as consistent control of diagnosis, treatment and after-care. Fortunately to date, there have been no difficulties in diagnosis and identification as a result of the use of antibiotics but some problems can be expected to arise in the future By these methods it should be possible to obtain more advanced information on interepidemic periods and to exercise a better control.