Investigation of an outbreak of typhoid fever in a rural district of East Malaysia, 2019.

The source of the outbreak was most likely the infected restaurant worker who prepared chicken without wearing gloves; transmission most likely occurred through contaminated food or surfaces. Immediate steps to control the outbreak included chlorinating water wells, disinfecting waste disposal areas and promptly vaccinating all food handlers, including those working in street food settings. Recommendations for preventing future outbreaks include strengthening surveillance systems for acute gastroenteritis, conducting education campaigns to promote safe food-handling practices and implementing measures to improve vaccination coverage against typhoid fever among food handlers.