New and Emerging Challenges in Management and Control of Typhoid Fever

Abstract

Enteric fever, generally known as typhoid, is an extremely common infection in developing countries where environmental hygiene is vastly compromised, and where children are most vulnerable to the infection.1 Enteric fever is caused mostly by typhoidal Salmonella, including Salmonella enterica serotype typhi, and less frequently by serotypes paratyphi A, B, and C. It most frequently manifests as nonspecific, prolonged fever without localization. Clinically the differential diagnosis for acute fever is extensive and includes a number of bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections, as well as noninfectious entities. An experienced physician should be able to rule out other causes of acute febrile illness on the basis of clinical history, examination and targeted laboratory tests before considering typhoid as the cause of acute fever without localization.