Furazolidone in multi-resistant childhood typhoid fever

Multi-drug-resistant Salmonella typhi infection is an emerging public health problem in most developing countries. Fifty children up to the age of 12 years whose blood cultures were positive for S. typhi, mostly drug-resistant ones, were treated with oral furazolidone in a prospective year-long study. Defervescence occurred in 96% of the treated group with a mean duration for response of 5.9 days. No clinically significant side-effects were noted. Furazolidone was found to be efficacious, safe and cost-effective in the treatment of most cases of childhood typhoid fever caused by multi-resistant S. typhi.