Asian Journal of Microbiology, Biotechnology & Environmental Sciences Paper

Vol 23, Issue 2, 2021; Page No.(163-174)

MULTIDRUG RESISTANCE: A CHALLENGE IN TYPHOID TREATMENT

NEHA CHAUHAN AND UMAR FAROOQ

Abstract

Salmonella typhi is a facultative intracellular pathogen of Salmonella serovar that causes typhoid fever in humans (the only known natural hosts and reservoir of infection). Typhoid is one of the major emerging public health problems in developing countries. S.typhi is a motile, non-capsulated, nonsporulating, Gram-negative facultative anaerobic bacillus, having characteristic flagellar, somatic, and outer coat antigens that are susceptible to various antibiotics. Typhoid fever is a systemic disease and without taking care, the illness may last for three to four weeks or death can be possible. Although, the global burden of typhoid fever has reduced, emergence of multidrug resistant S.typhi (MDRST) is still a threat to public health. Currently, 107 strains of this organism have been isolated carrying variable metabolic characteristics, levels of virulence, and multi-drug resistance genes that make the treatment more complicated in the drug resistant regions. The best diagnosis can be attained including cultural characterization on MacConkey and S-S agar, XLD agars, and the bacterium is strictly non-lactose fermenting. The bacteria can be distinguished by no gas production from other Enterobacteriaceae by growing in Triple Sugar Iron agar. Despite the discovery of newer antibacterial drugs, enteric fever has continued to be a major health problem. S. typhi developed resistance to several antibiotics like ampicillin, ceftriaxone, and co-trimoxazole, besides ciprofloxacin is at the developing resistance stage. The emergence of multidrug resistance had made the treatment and management of enteric fever complicated. This has now become the one of the greatest challenges in the treatment and management of this disease.