Background: Enteric fever remains a major cause of fever in travelers. We evaluated new trends in enteric fever.
Methods: We reviewed the epidemiological, clinical, biological, bacteriological data, and outcome of all cases of typhoid and paratyphoid fever seen in our department over the last decade. The inclusion criteria were the presence of signs compatible with enteric fever and isolation of Salmonella typhi or Salmonella paratyphi A, B, or C from blood or stool cultures or any other site.
Results: Among the 41 patients, 38 (93%) had travel-associated enteric fever. The main geographic source of contamination was the Indian subcontinent. One patient had been vaccinated with parenteral Vi vaccine 1 year previously. Fever and headaches were the only signs which were present in more than 80% of patients. The Widal test at inclusion was positive in 27%, and a second serological test was found to be positive in 50% of evaluated cases. Blood cultures and stool cultures were positive in 34 cases and 10 cases, respectively. Salmonellae spp were isolated in both hemocultures and stool cultures in 4 cases and in urine in 1 case. Two strains of S. typhi were resistant to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. One strain of S. typhi and one of S. paratyphi B were nalidixic acid resistant. All evaluable patients were cured with the exception of 2 patients (1 failure, 1 relapse). We observed 3 toxic reactions. No patients died.
Conclusion: The diagnosis and outcome of enteric fever are hampered by the lack of specificity of clinical and biological signs, the increasing rates of antimicrobial resistance, and the occurrence of toxic reactions during treatment.