A clinical profile of multidrug resistant typhoid fever.

Fifty blood culture positive patients of typhoid fever were studied during the current outbreak of the disease for their clinical profile. In 39 (78%) cases the isolates of S. typhi were resistant to conventional drugs. Children below 2 years of age constituted 20% of the total cases and belonged exclusively to the group with multidrug resistant typhoid fever (MRTF). The clinical presentation seemed to mimic malaria, bronchopneumonia, meningitis, etc. Typhoid hepatitis was diagnosed in 2 cases with MRTF. Life threatening complications were seen in 28.2% patients and were observed exclusively in MRTF group.