[Typhoid fever].

The epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment of typhoid fever has been studied retrospectively in 50 hospitalized patients. Typhoid fever is increasing in Norway, owing to more travel, especially by immigrants visiting their home countries. Among 50 patients admitted to hospital for typhoid, we found no fatal complications. Fever was a main symptom, and 13 of the 50 patients had additional concomitant infections. The standard treatment was chloramphenicol for 14 days. In 1990 and 1991, however, most cases were caused by multi-resistant strains of Salmonella typhi. The adults were therefore treated with ciprofloxacin and the children with third generation cephalosporins. All the multiresistant infections had been contracted in Pakistan or India. There were no secondary cases among the more than 214 family contacts in the 47 families involved. The increase in resistant strains of typhoid fever may affect future treatment and control strategies.