Typhoid Fever's Deadly Mutation: Ancient Killer Becomes Resistant To Last-Resort Antibiotics
Extensively drug-resistant (XDR) typhoid fever, caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, is rapidly spreading worldwide, particularly from South Asia. These strains are resistant to multiple antibiotics, including newer ones like fluoroquinolones and third-generation cephalosporins.
According to a study, "Antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can cause typhoid fever and evade treatment are spreading across the globe, according to international research. Typhoid fever causes about 100,000 deaths a year globally and is usually treatable with antibiotics."
However, the researchers say genetic analysis on blood samples collected in South Asia shows some of the bacteria strains causing the disease now are resistant to commonly used antibiotics. The researchers say these resistant strains have spread between countries nearly 200 times since 1990.
"The speed at which highly resistant strains of S. Typhi have emerged and spread in recent years is a real cause for concern and highlights the need to urgently expand prevention measures, particularly in countries at greatest risk," said infectious disease specialist Jason Andrews from Stanford University at the time the results were published.
Scientists have been warning about drug-resistant typhoid for years. In 2016, a super-resistant strain was found in Pakistan and quickly spread. By 2019, it was the most common type in the country. Now, new research shows that typhoid is getting even more resistant, making treatment harder.
If typhoid isn't treated, it can be deadly for up to 20% of people who get it. Every year, there are 11 million cases of typhoid worldwide. Vaccines can help prevent future outbreaks, but many people don't have access to them. If we don't act now, we could face another major health crisis.
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Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Are antibiotics losing battle against typhoid?
1 2 3 Ahmedabad: A recent study has raised alarm bells about the growing resistance of typhoid-causing bacteria to several antibiotics, in some cases up to 90%, potentially complicating treatment options for this common disease. This study by Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) scientists, along with other organisations, is the latest among several studies in the past decade that flagged the rise of AMR typhoid in Gujarat and in India. Researchers studied isolated Salmonella Typhi or S Typhi, the bacteria responsible for typhoid fever, collected from Ahmedabad and Vadodara against 28 antibiotics used for treatment of typhoid and found several of them showing over 90% resistance. The group also pinpointed genes for third-generation antibiotics for some classes and suggested another class of antibiotics. Typhoid fever, caused by contaminated food or water or poor hygiene, is a common disease for Asia, Africa and Latin America and is marked by fever, fatigue, abdominal pain, rashes and in extreme cases, intestinal bleeding. Symptoms generally last for five to six days and doctors generally use antibiotics for treatment. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo In Ahmedabad city, monsoons often see 200-odd cases a month. The study, 'Comprehensive analysis of extensive drug-resistant Salmonella Typhi in Gujarat region, India: genomic findings and prospective alternative therapy' was recently published in the American Society for Microbiology journal Microbiology Spectrum. Its authors include SD Akshay, Heli Upadhyaya and 16 others from GBRC, MS University of Baroda, BJ Medical College, state govt's Commissionerate of Health, and Toprani Labs in Vadodara. 'Determining fluoroquinolones (FQs) and third-generation cephalosporin resistance underscores the urgent need for alternative therapeutic strategiesOur research revealed alarming resistance trends to key antibiotics, such as ceftriaxone, cotrimoxazole, amikacin, ampicillin, cefepime, cefixime, cefotaxime, ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, and gentamicin, limiting effective hospital treatment approaches,' the findings state. The researchers also highlighted the role of specific plasmids that carry resistance genes.'Our findings revealed that combination therapy with β-lactam antibiotics and β-lactam inhibitors (BLI) significantly improved the treatment efficacy against extensively drug resistant (XDR) S. Typhi, contributing to more favourable clinical results and reducing treatment failures,' read the findings, adding that this can effectively manage infections and avoid resistance development. Health experts in Ahmedabad say that the drug-resistant typhoid has been a reality for nearly a decade, in varied frequencies. Dr Urvesh Shah, professor and head of GCS Medical College's microbiology department, said that quinolone, the drug of choice a decade ago, is now getting resistant in more than 50% cases. "While third-generation cephalosporin are a drug of choice, we now get scattered cases of its resistance, which is alarming. While azithromycin retains its sensitivity, it should be given as a supplementary drug only," said Dr Shah, adding that the bottom line from such findings is steady rise of drug-resistant bacteria which should be addressed through proper use of drugs, their proper duration, and correct diagnosis. Dr RC Damani, internal medicine specialist at KD Hospital, said that compared to the scenario a decade ago, the medical fraternity is now forced to look at alternatives for the AMR typhoid. "Treatment protocols have changed today for antibiotic use. There is better screening also for determining typhoid cases," he said, adding that not all cases of typhoid are of AMR organisms. "The two popular methods to confirm typhoid are blood culture to determine bacteria and sonography to find signs such as swollen lymph nodes. While some start treatment for symptoms, the wrong use of antibiotics can add to the burden of AMR. Typhoid is a very common disease and we have seen a change in form of its duration from five days to seven days and treatment from oral medication to IV in serious cases," said Dr Pragnesh Vachcharajani, secretary of the Federation of Family Physicians' Association of India. Ahmedabad: A recent study has raised alarm bells about the growing resistance of typhoid-causing bacteria to several antibiotics, in some cases up to 90%, potentially complicating treatment options for this common disease. This study by Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) scientists, along with other organisations, is the latest among several studies in the past decade that flagged the rise of AMR typhoid in Gujarat and in India. Researchers studied isolated Salmonella Typhi or S Typhi, the bacteria responsible for typhoid fever, collected from Ahmedabad and Vadodara against 28 antibiotics used for treatment of typhoid and found several of them showing over 90% resistance. The group also pinpointed genes for third-generation antibiotics for some classes and suggested another class of antibiotics. Typhoid fever, caused by contaminated food or water or poor hygiene, is a common disease for Asia, Africa and Latin America and is marked by fever, fatigue, abdominal pain, rashes and in extreme cases, intestinal bleeding. Symptoms generally last for five to six days and doctors generally use antibiotics for treatment. In Ahmedabad city, monsoons often see 200-odd cases a month. The study, 'Comprehensive analysis of extensive drug-resistant Salmonella Typhi in Gujarat region, India: genomic findings and prospective alternative therapy' was recently published in the American Society for Microbiology journal Microbiology Spectrum. Its authors include SD Akshay, Heli Upadhyaya and 16 others from GBRC, MS University of Baroda, BJ Medical College, state govt's Commissionerate of Health, and Toprani Labs in Vadodara. 'Determining fluoroquinolones (FQs) and third-generation cephalosporin resistance underscores the urgent need for alternative therapeutic strategiesOur research revealed alarming resistance trends to key antibiotics, such as ceftriaxone, cotrimoxazole, amikacin, ampicillin, cefepime, cefixime, cefotaxime, ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, and gentamicin, limiting effective hospital treatment approaches,' the findings state. The researchers also highlighted the role of specific plasmids that carry resistance genes.'Our findings revealed that combination therapy with β-lactam antibiotics and β-lactam inhibitors (BLI) significantly improved the treatment efficacy against extensively drug resistant (XDR) S. Typhi, contributing to more favourable clinical results and reducing treatment failures,' read the findings, adding that this can effectively manage infections and avoid resistance development. Health experts in Ahmedabad say that the drug-resistant typhoid has been a reality for nearly a decade, in varied frequencies. Dr Urvesh Shah, professor and head of GCS Medical College's microbiology department, said that quinolone, the drug of choice a decade ago, is now getting resistant in more than 50% cases. "While third-generation cephalosporin are a drug of choice, we now get scattered cases of its resistance, which is alarming. While azithromycin retains its sensitivity, it should be given as a supplementary drug only," said Dr Shah, adding that the bottom line from such findings is steady rise of drug-resistant bacteria which should be addressed through proper use of drugs, their proper duration, and correct diagnosis. Dr RC Damani, internal medicine specialist at KD Hospital, said that compared to the scenario a decade ago, the medical fraternity is now forced to look at alternatives for the AMR typhoid. "Treatment protocols have changed today for antibiotic use. There is better screening also for determining typhoid cases," he said, adding that not all cases of typhoid are of AMR organisms. "The two popular methods to confirm typhoid are blood culture to determine bacteria and sonography to find signs such as swollen lymph nodes. While some start treatment for symptoms, the wrong use of antibiotics can add to the burden of AMR. Typhoid is a very common disease and we have seen a change in form of its duration from five days to seven days and treatment from oral medication to IV in serious cases," said Dr Pragnesh Vachcharajani, secretary of the Federation of Family Physicians' Association of India.
Time of India
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Mint
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Still, experts said her business entanglements raise concerns about conflicting interests for an aspiring surgeon general, a role responsible for giving Americans the best scientific information on how to improve their health. Here are some takeaways from the 's reporting. Means, 37, earned her medical degree from Stanford University, but she dropped out of her residency program in 2018, and her license to practice is inactive. She said she saw firsthand how 'broken and exploitative the healthcare system is" and turned to alternative approaches to address what she has described as widespread metabolic dysfunction driven largely by poor nutrition and an overabundance of ultra-processed foods. She co-founded Levels, a nutrition, sleep and exercise-tracking app that can also give users insights from blood tests and continuous glucose monitors. The company charges $199 per year for an app subscription and an additional $184 per month for glucose monitors. Though scientists debate whether continuous glucose monitors are beneficial for people without diabetes, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has promoted their use as a precursor to making certain weight-loss drugs available to patients. With more than 825,000 followers on Instagram and a newsletter that she has said reached 200,000 subscribers, Means has a direct line to an audience interested in health, nutrition and wellness. Many companies, including Amazon, have affiliate marketing programs in which people with substantial social media followings can sign up to receive a percentage of sales or some other benefit when someone clicks through and buys a product using a special individualized link or code shared by the influencer. Means has used such links to promote various products sold on Amazon. Among them are books, including the one she co-wrote, 'Good Energy"; beauty products; cardamom-flavored dental floss; organic jojoba oil; sunglasses; a sleep mask; a silk pillowcase; fitness and sleep trackers; protein powder and supplements. She also has shared links to products sold by other companies that included 'affiliate' or 'partner' coding. The products include an AI-powered sleep system and the prepared food company Daily Harvest, for which she curated a 'metabolic health collection.' On a 'My Faves' page that was taken down from her website shortly after Trump picked her, Means wrote that some links 'are affiliate links and I make a small percentage if you buy something after clicking them.' It's not clear how much money Means has earned from her affiliate marketing, partnerships and other agreements. Daily Harvest did not return messages seeking comment, and Means said she could not comment on the record during the confirmation process. Influencers who endorse products in exchange for something of value are required by the the Federal Trade Commission to disclose it every time. But most consumers still don't realize that a personality recommending a product might make money if people click through and buy, said University of Minnesota professor Christopher Terry. While Means did disclose some relationships like newsletter sponsors, the found she wasn't consistent. For example, a 'Clean Personal & Home Care Product Recommendations' guide she links to from her website contains two dozen affiliate or partner links and no disclosure that she could profit from any sales. Means has said she invested in Function Health, which provides subscription-based lab testing for $500 annually. Of the more than a dozen online posts the found in which Means mentioned Function Health, more than half did not disclose she had any affiliation with the company. Though the 'About' page on her website discloses the affiliation, that's not enough, experts said. She is required to disclose any material connection she has to a company any time she promotes it. Representatives for Function Health did not return messages seeking comment. While the disclosure requirements are rarely enforced by the FTC, Means should have been informing her readers of any connections regardless of whether she was violating any laws, said Olivier Sylvain, a Fordham Law School professor, previously a senior advisor to the FTC chair. 'What you want in a surgeon general, presumably, is someone who you trust to talk about tobacco, about social media, about caffeinated alcoholic beverages, things that present problems in public health,' Sylvain said, adding, 'Should there be any doubt about claims you make about products?' Past surgeons general have faced questions about their financial entanglements, prompting them to divest from certain stocks or recuse themselves from matters involving their business relationships for a period of time. Means hasn't yet gone through a Senate confirmation hearing and has not yet announced the ethical commitments she will make for the role. Emily Hund, author of 'The Influencer Industry: The Quest for Authenticity on Social Media,' said as influencer marketing becomes more common, it is raising more ethical questions — like what past influencers who enter government should do to avoid the appearance of a conflict. 'This is like a learning moment in the evolution of our democracy,' Hund said. 'Is this a runaway train that we just have to get on and ride, or is this something that we want to go differently?' Swenson reported from New York. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
