‘I was left unconscious with typhoid after eating street food and petting cats on remote island’
A backpacker is warning others of the unexpected health risks that come with eating street food and petting stray cats after a terrifying brush with typhoid left her seriously ill.
Alysha Pyrgotis, from Bradford, was island-hopping in Indonesia and en route to Thailand, when she suddenly developed symptoms that were later diagnosed as typhoid fever.
The serious bacterial infection left the 27-year-old unconscious and dangerously dehydrated on the remote island of Gili Trawangan in June, with no hospital access.
“I couldn’t even keep a sip of water down. I thought I was gonna die,” Ms Pyrgotis told the Independent, recalling the ordeal.
The traveller first assumed she was simply hungover, but she was soon unable to even get out of her hostel bed.
“I thought I was hungover, but by midday I started to get really sick. I was aching in my bones and muscles, and that was followed by extreme vomiting,” she said.
“I started to panic because it was getting really bad, and I couldn’t leave my bed. I was very dizzy and felt sick, and then the next few days were just horrific.”
Stuck on a remote island, she had no access to a hospital, but a local doctor was able to diagnose her with typhoid fever following a blood test. She was given antibiotics via an intravenous drip in a building Ms Pyrgotis likened to a “shack”.
“I didn’t even tell my family, I was too scared that it was gonna be so bad to tell them, so I waited until I was a little bit better,” she said.
Typhoid is caused by the bacteria Salmonella typhi, which spreads to people through contaminated food and water. Fever, headache, tummy ache, chills and pains are all symptoms of typhoid, according to the NHS.
If it’s left untreated, it can lead to serious health problems such as internal bleeding or an infection in the lining of the stomach and in some cases it can be life-threatening.
Ms Pyrgotis believes her infection was caused by eating street food and brushing her teeth with the tap water.
“I was eating really cheap street food, with places that had meat left out all day,” she said.
“I was also brushing my teeth with the tap water the whole time I travelled, which is a big no, apparently,” she added.
Professor Paul Hunter, an epidemiologist from the University of East Anglia, stressed that items contaminated with faeces can spread typhoid, meaning food and water probably made Ms Pyrgotis sick.
“Green leaf salads are lethal in many parts of the world because they’re often grown in areas that are subject to human faecal pollution. Even when they are adequately washed, they’re often washed in dirty water that can spread infection,” he told the Independent.
However, the cat lover who was touching and feeding several stray cats – a common sight across Thailand and Indonesia – has since discovered this may have put her at risk of other diseases.
“When I was on the island and I was sick, some of the locals were asking if I had been touching stray cats,” Ms Pyrgotis said.
“I was stroking so many cats and I didn’t realise the risks,” she added.
Professor Hunter explained that stroking stray cats would not have given Ms Pyrgotis typhoid, but she could have been at risk of catching rabies had she been bitten.
“It’s best to avoid contact with animals, whether they be wild or domesticated, because you can catch particularly scary diseases, including rabies,” he said.
He also explained that she could have been at risk of catching typhus, a potentially deadly bacterial illness, because fleas are a potential transmitter of the disease.
A vaccine is available for typhoid free on the NHS and is recommended for people travelling to high-risk areas.
Pharmacist and health expert Thorun Govind said: “Travel vaccines can provide vital protection and reduce the risk of becoming seriously unwell. It’s always best to check the latest travel health advice and speak to a healthcare professional well before your trip, so you know which vaccines or precautions are recommended for your destination.”
