Drug-resistant typhoid spreads

A drug-resistant form of typhoid may now have spread from Asia to Africa, researchers say.

The bacterium Salmonella enterica Typhi kills around 200,000, mostly in southern Asia, Africa and South America. Globally, 21 million people contract the disease, which spreads via faeces in areas lacking clean water and sanitation.

Now, one strain from Asia which is resistant to chloramphenicol and other key antibiotics has spread as far as Africa, according to a recent article published in the journal Science.

Researchers said new vaccines were needed in order to complement existing antibiotic treatments, which can significantly reduce fatality rates.

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