Major warning as UK cases of Victorian 'bleeding disease' reach record high
Cases of typhoid, a bleeding disease that famously killed the husband of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, have reached a record level in Britain.
Health officials warned the number of travellers returning to the UK with the highly contagious—and potentially deadly infection—is now at an all-time high.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) recorded 702 cases of typhoid fever, and a related illness called paratyphoid fever in 2024.
This was an eight per cent rise on the previous year and is the highest number of cases ever recorded.
Typhoid is a bacterial illness that without quick treatment can cause serious and fatal complications, like internal bleeding, or lead internal organs to burst.
It is caused by a type of salmonella bacteria that is usually spread through food and water contaminated with an infected person's urine of faeces.
Most British cases are linked to travel to India, Bangladesh, or Pakistan, where the disease is more common.
UKHSA officials also warned there had also been a concerning rise of antibiotic-resistant typhoid in Pakistan.
This is a strain that has adapted immunity to the medication used to treat it meaning people infected with this strain are more likely to have serious complications.
Globally, a fifth of typhoid cases worldwide are fatal, though this is rarer in countries like the UK.
Symptoms of a typhoid infection usually develop between one to two weeks after a person is infected.
It initially triggers flu-like symptoms such as a fever, headache, aches and pains, fatigue, a cough but also constipation.
After this initial wave, symptoms will get worse, with the addition of nausea, diarrhoea and sometimes a rash. It is at this stage that a patient is at high risk of potentially deadly complications.
With treatment, such as antibiotics, the infection usually clears within three to five days.
While a free typhoid vaccine is available on the NHS to people travelling to countries with high levels of the disease, no such jab exists for paratyphoid—which is caused by a slightly different bacteria to the one that causes typhoid.
Travellers are also advised to take steps like drinking bottled water, avoiding having ice in drinks and to not eat raw fruit and vegetables while in affected areas.
UKHSA officials also warned that while imported cases of the mosquito-borne disease malaria decreased in 2024, they remained at 'concerning levels'.
Data shows there 1,812 malaria cases diagnosed in British travellers last year, a small decline from the 2,106 cases recorded in 2023.
But both figures are significantly higher than figures recorded in previous years.
Malaria is usually easily treated if caught early, can be deadly if left untreated or diagnosed late.
Dr Philip Veal, consultant in public health at UKHSA, warned that the level of cases of such diseases they were seeing in people returning to Britain remained high.
'It is important that travellers remain alert and plan ahead of going abroad–even if you're visiting friends and relatives abroad or it's somewhere you visit often,' she said.
She urged people to visit the Government's Travel Health Pro website for information on what vaccines or medications tourists may need before travelling to an overseas destination.
Dr Veal added this was especially important for women expecting a child or hoping to have one in the near future as they could be at heightened risk.
'If you are pregnant or trying to conceive there are special precautions you should take, so please speak to a healthcare professional before planning your trip,' she said.
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