Current pattern of enteric fever: a prospective clinical and microbiological study

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Infectious Diseases
• Microbiology

Background:

• Enteric fever poses a significant health challenge, particularly in preschool-aged children.
• Understanding the clinical presentation and causative agents is crucial for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the clinical characteristics of enteric fever in children under 18.
• To determine the current antibiotic susceptibility patterns of Salmonella typhi and Salmonella paratyphi.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 145 blood culture-confirmed enteric fever cases in children.
• Utilized the Bauer-Kirby agar disc diffusion method for in-vitro antibiotic sensitivity testing.

Main Results:

• Enteric fever predominantly affected children aged 2-9 years (65%).
• Salmonella typhi caused 92% of infections; Salmonella paratyphi A was responsible for 8% of cases.
• High in-vitro sensitivity was observed for ceftriaxone (99%), cefixime (99%), and cefotaxime (99%).
• Sensitivity to ampicillin (87%), amoxicillin (89%), and chloramphenicol (86%) is reappearing.
• Nalidixic acid resistance was notably high at 88%.

Conclusions:

• Enteric fever is a considerable issue in the preschool population.
• Third-generation cephalosporins and certain older antibiotics demonstrate good efficacy against Salmonella species causing enteric fever.
• High resistance to nalidixic acid necessitates careful antibiotic selection.