Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 17, 2025
Culture Methods to Determine the Limit of Detection and Survival in Transport Media of Campylobacter Jejuni in Human Fecal Specimens
Published on: March 10, 2020
Salmonella Typhi and Paratyphi A infections in Cambodian children, 2012-2016
Chheng Kheng1, Vorlark Meas1, Sotheavy Pen1
1Angkor Hospital for Children, Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Insights
Salmonella Typhi infections in Cambodian children were more severe, presenting with younger age and more symptoms, compared to Salmonella Paratyphi A. Antibiotic resistance in S. Typhi poses a significant treatment challenge.
Area of Science:
- Tropical medicine
- Infectious diseases
- Microbiology
Background:
- Enteric fever, caused by Salmonella Typhi and Salmonella Paratyphi A, is a major health concern in tropical regions.
- A national outbreak of Salmonella Paratyphi A highlighted the need to understand differences between these infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the clinical and laboratory features of Salmonella Typhi and Salmonella Paratyphi A infections in Cambodian children.
- To assess the antibiotic resistance patterns of S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi A during a period of outbreak.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of clinical and laboratory data from 192 children with blood culture-confirmed enteric fever.
- Data collected from a pediatric referral hospital in Siem Reap between 2012 and 2016.
Main Results:
- Children with S. Typhi infections were younger and experienced more chills and diarrhea.
- S. Typhi infections led to more frequent hospitalizations compared to S. Paratyphi A.
- A high prevalence of multidrug-resistant S. Typhi (88.3%) was observed, with no resistance in S. Paratyphi A isolates.
Conclusions:
- Salmonella Typhi infections present more severe clinical manifestations in Cambodian children than S. Paratyphi A.
- Multidrug resistance in S. Typhi significantly limits therapeutic options for enteric fever in this population.
Objectives:
Enteric fever remains an important diagnostic and treatment challenge in febrile children living in the tropics. In the context of a national Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi A outbreak, the objective of this retrospective study was to compare features of S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi A infections in Cambodian children.
Methods:
Clinical and laboratory features were reviewed for 192 blood culture-confirmed children with S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi A infections presenting to a paediatric referral hospital in Siem Reap, 2012-2016.
Results:
Children with S. Typhi infections were younger, were more likely to have chills and/or diarrhoea, and were more frequently hospitalized than those with S. Paratyphi A infections. Over three quarters (88.3%) of S. Typhi isolates were multidrug-resistant, compared to none of the S. Paratyphi A.
Conclusions:
In this small study of Cambodian children, S. Typhi infections were more severe than S. Paratyphi A infections. Antibiotic resistance limits treatment options for enteric fever in this population.
