Occurrence of Salmonella typhi infection in Rourkela, Orissa

Between January 1996 and December 1998, the isolation rate of Salmonella typhi in Rourkela was found to be on a steady rise. Of the 7866 samples (blood and bone marrow) tested, 988 were found positive for S. typhi giving an overall per cent positivity of 12.56. Enteric fever was found to occur almost throughout the year with a peak from early winter up to the end of summer. In this study, chloramphenicol was found to have an average sensitivity of 87.46 per cent. Ceftriaxone showed 100 per cent sensitivity.