An outbreak of typhoid fever in Chandigarh, North India

An outbreak of typhoid fever occurred among 54 hospital nurses after a picnic. The salient features were fever (100%), nausea and vomiting (46%), loose motions and abdominal pain (13%), and palpable splenomegaly (63%). None of the patients had any major complications. Blood cultures for Salmonella typhi were positive in 81%, blood Widal was positive (1:320 or more) in 43% and suggestive (1:160) in 25% of the blood culture positive patients. A comparable number of patients were administered chloramphenicol or co-trimoxazole and no differences in response were observed. Bacteriological examination of samples of water from the likely sources revealed it to be unfit for human consumption due to gross faecal contamination.