Its Typhoid, Mary..................

OK---I finally got my  picture taken and applied for a passport--not only for spontaneously travelling to Paris or Tuscany (if I can dream it...) but also for any emergencies that may arise. (yes it just occurred to me last month) 

Maybe it was a bad omen because Emily called this week to tell us she had tested positively for typhoid fever. I knew she had felt ill (very ill) over the weekend and she thought she was readjusting to local food again.  However, the shaking chills and fatigue got the best of her so she went for treatment.  Thankfully there is a clinic in Moroto with a lab and IV antibiotics!  Ugh. I wish I were there! Anyway, Kevin said that her immunization, though technically within the suggested boundaries, may have been wearing off  and she somehow contracted this.  It may have been the market food, I doubt she had popsicles, but the ice comment is interesting.   From now, added urgency to the advice below:

 

 "Boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it"

• If you drink water, buy it bottled or bring it to a rolling boil for 1 minute before you drink it. Bottled carbonated water is safer than uncarbonated water.
• Ask for drinks without ice unless the ice is made from bottled or boiled water. Avoid popsicles and flavored ices that may have been made with contaminated water.
• Eat foods that have been thoroughly cooked and that are still hot and steaming.
• Avoid raw vegetables and fruits that cannot be peeled. Vegetables like lettuce are easily contaminated and are very hard to wash well.
• When you eat raw fruit or vegetables that can be peeled, peel them yourself. (Wash your hands with soap first.) Do not eat the peelings.
• Avoid foods and beverages from street vendors. It is difficult for food to be kept clean on the street, and many travelers get sick from food bought from street vendors.
•  
• HANG in THERE HONEY-DRINK FLUIDS and REST -- love always, mom and pop