Massachusetts day care closes after child diagnosed with typhoid fever

While the child is believed to have contracted the illness while traveling, teachers and other children who attend the day care were being tested out of precaution. (iStock)

A day care center in North Quincy, Mass., was closed on Wednesday and Thursday after a child came down with a case of typhoid fever. The child, who was not identified, had traveled recently and was not believed to have contracted the illness at Bright Horizons day care.

“The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is working with Bright Horizons and the Quincy Public Health Department to prevent the spread of the disease,” a state health department spokeswoman said, according to the Boston Herald.

Meanwhile, teachers and other children who attend the day care were being tested for the dangerous illness. Children ages 6 weeks to 5 years attend the center. The disease can cause high fevers, weakness, stomach pains, headache and loss of appetite and is typically spread by contaminated food and water.

“It is a serious infectious disease that can be deadly if not treated appropriately,” Dr. Mary Montgomery, infectious disease physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, told the news outlet. “Like many infectious diseases, it can be worse in young children compared to adults.”

Those who travel to Asia, Africa and Latin America are considered to be most at-risk, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).