Karachi witnesses spike in XDR typhoid cases

KARACHI: Cases of drug-resistant (XDR) typhoid, particularly among children, are on the rise in Karachi as 335 cases have been reported during the last four months, National Institute of Child Health (NICH) report showed Tuesday.

According to the report, the most number of XDR typhoid cases were reported from Karachi in the month of April.

More than 80 cases were reported in March, 89 in February and 63 cases were reported during the month of January.

It is pertinent to note that 200,000 cases of typhoid were reported in Sindh, including Karachi, in 2022.

The typhoid fever, caused by the strains (kinds) of Salmonella Typhi, does not respond to most antibiotics used to treat typhoid fever.

According to a recent study by team of Pakistani and US researchers published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, genomic analysis of XDR typhoid isolates in Pakistan revealed that numerous XDR variants were circulating in the country.

More than 15,000 cases of XDR typhoid have been reported in Pakistan since 2016, data showed.