Fluoroquinolones in the treatment of typhoid fever and the carrier state.

Typhoid fever remains an important public health problem throughout the world with a higher morbidity and mortality rate in the developing countries. Early establishment of the diagnosis and prompt initiation of treatment with chloramphenicol, ampicillin or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole is not necessarily followed by complete resolution of the infection. Between 1% and 6% of patients with typhoid fever become chronic biliary carriers of Salmonella typhi. These carriers are potential factors in the continued transmission of the disease. The increasing emergence worldwide of strains showing multiple resistance to the agents traditionally used in therapy has encouraged investigators to seek alternatives such as third generation cephalosporins and recently the new 4-quinolones, which have greater activity against Salmonella typhi including multi-resistant strains. The fluoroquinolones seem to be the treatment of choice in those regions where resistant strains of Salmonella typhi are prevalent.