William of the White Hand
Junior News Editor
Tributes for student victim of typhoid
DANIEL BATEMAN | January 30th, 2013
A JAMES Cook University medical student with a passion for improving health in Third World countries has died from typhoid fever before he was due to start his final year of studies.
Amuthan Annamalai, 23, died in Townsville Hospital on Friday after battling the bacterial disease, believed to have been contracted during a recent visit to the Middle East and southern Asia.
Just two days before his death, Mr Annamalai had tweeted that typhoid was "the worst kind of fever".
"I prefer football fever, or any other kind of sporting fever ... except for golf," he wrote.
Mr Annamalai's parents have travelled from Sydney to farewell their son.
His medical lecturers and colleagues yesterday paid tribute to the young leader, who was an active member of the Medical School's student association.
JCU Dean of Medicine Richard Murray said Mr Annamalai had a passion for global health and the standard of living in the developing world.
"He'd been very active in the student body in this regard, in student clubs, in activities and was a young man with great promise going places," Dr Murray said.
He said the death had shocked the medical school's close-knit students.
"There's great outpouring of grief and loss ... particularly concern for his grieving family, who have arrived in Townsville to be with their son and to make sense of what's happened," he said.
The university is planning a memorial service for Mr Annamalai later this week.
JCU Medical Student Association president Alex Hanson said the school was devastated.
"Amuthan was an outstanding member of the medical community," Ms Hanson said.
"His vibrant personality just made everyone around him smile. He was an activist for global health, which was also very inspiring."
Townsville Hospital and Health Service's Geoff Fisher said the public faced no risk of infection.
"Typhoid is not an airborne disease. Typhoid is a bacterial disease, usually spread when faeces or urine from an infected person contaminates something that is transferred to another person's mouth," Dr Fisher said.
"Contaminated water and food are the most common sources of infection."
He said people who had been in close contact with Mr Annamalai were being tested and monitored, and provided with information about symptoms to look out for.
http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2013/01/30/374476_news.html
