Latest news with #STyphi
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Ancient Killer Is Rapidly Becoming Resistant to Antibiotics, Warns Study
In spite of having plagued humans for millennia, typhoid fever is rarely considered in developed countries today. But this ancient threat is still very much a danger in our modern world. According to research published in 2022, the bacterium that causes typhoid fever is evolving extensive drug resistance, and is rapidly replacing strains that aren't resistant. Currently, antibiotics are the only way to effectively treat typhoid, which is caused by the bacterium Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S Typhi). Yet over the past three decades, the bacterium's resistance to oral antibiotics has been growing and spreading. In their study, researchers sequenced the genomes of 3,489 S Typhi strains contracted from 2014 to 2019 in Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India, and found a rise in extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Typhi. XDR Typhi is not only impervious to frontline antibiotics, like ampicillin, chloramphenicol, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, but it is also growing resistant to newer antibiotics, like fluoroquinolones and third-generation cephalosporins. Related: Even worse, these strains are spreading globally at a rapid rate. While most XDR Typhi cases stem from south Asia, researchers have identified nearly 200 instances of international spread since 1990. Most strains have been exported to Southeast Asia, as well as East and Southern Africa, but typhoid superbugs have also been found in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada. "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 now. In 2016, the first XDR typhoid strain was identified in Pakistan. By 2019, it had become the dominant genotype in the nation. Historically, most XDR typhoid strains have been fought with third-generation antimicrobials, like quinolones, cephalosporins, and macrolides. But by the early 2000s, mutations that confer resistance to quinolones accounted for more than 85 percent of all cases in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Singapore. At the same time, cephalosporin resistance was also taking over. Today, only one oral antibiotic is left: the macrolide, azithromycin. And this medicine might not work for much longer. The 2022 study found mutations that confer resistance to azithromycin are now also spreading, "threatening the efficacy of all oral antimicrobials for typhoid treatment". While these mutations have not yet been adopted by XDR S Typhi, if they are, we are in serious trouble. If untreated, up to 20 percent of typhoid cases can be fatal, and today, there are 11 million cases of typhoid a year. Future outbreaks can be prevented to some extent with typhoid conjugate vaccines, but if access to these shots is not expanded globally, the world could soon have another health crisis on its hands. "The recent emergence of XDR and azithromycin-resistant S Typhi creates greater urgency for rapidly expanding prevention measures, including use of typhoid conjugate vaccines in typhoid-endemic countries," the authors write. "Such measures are needed in countries where antimicrobial resistance prevalence among S Typhi isolates is currently high, but given the propensity for international spread, should not be restricted to such settings." South Asia might be the main hub for typhoid fever, accounting for 70 percent of all cases, but if COVID-19 taught us anything, it is that disease variants in our modern, globalized world are easily spread. To prevent that from happening, health experts argue nations must expand access to typhoid vaccines and invest in new antibiotic research. One recent study in India, for instance, estimates that if children are vaccinated against typhoid in urban areas, it could prevent up to 36 percent of typhoid cases and deaths. Pakistan is currently leading the way on this front. It was the first nation in the world to offer routine immunization for typhoid. Health experts argue more nations need to follow suit. Antibiotic resistance is one of the world's leading causes of death, claiming the lives of more people than HIV/ AIDS or malaria. Where available, vaccines are some of the best tools we have to prevent future catastrophe. We don't have time to waste. The study was published in The Lancet Microbe. An earlier version of this article was published in June 2022. Nicotine Pouches Poisoning Children at an Alarming Rate in The US Study Reveals How Long We Need to Walk to Prevent Chronic Back Pain This Is What Happens to Your Body When You Stop Drinking Alcohol
NDTV
3 days ago
- Health
- NDTV
Ancient Killer That Doctors Can No Longer Stop Is Spreading Worldwide: Study
A recent study warns that typhoid fever, an ancient disease that has plagued humanity for millennia, is rapidly evolving dangerous resistance to available antibiotics. While often overlooked in developed nations, this persistent threat remains a significant danger, particularly in our modern interconnected world. Research published in 2022 indicates that Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S Typhi), the bacterium responsible for typhoid, is developing extensive drug resistance. This concerning trend sees highly resistant strains quickly replacing those that can still be treated with existing medications. Currently, antibiotics are the sole effective treatment for typhoid. However, over the past three decades, S. Typhi's resistance to commonly used oral antibiotics has steadily increased and spread. The study, which analyzed the genetic makeup of 3,489 S. Typhi strains collected between 2014 and 2019 from Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India, revealed a significant rise in extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Typhi. These XDR strains are not only immune to older, frontline antibiotics such as ampicillin, chloramphenicol, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole but are also showing increasing resistance to newer, critical antibiotics like fluoroquinolones and third-generation cephalosporins. Compounding the problem, these highly resistant strains are spreading globally at an alarming pace. While the majority of XDR Typhi cases originate from South Asia, researchers have documented nearly 200 instances of international dissemination since 1990. The spread has primarily extended to Southeast Asia, as well as East and Southern Africa, with some typhoid "superbugs" also detected in Western countries including the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada. This global spread underscores the urgent need for heightened surveillance and new treatment strategies. Lead author, Dr Jason Andrews, Stanford University (USA), says: "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. At the same time, the fact resistant strains of S. Typhi have spread internationally so many times also underscores the need to view typhoid control, and antibiotic resistance more generally, as a global rather than local problem."
Time of India
08-06-2025
- Health
- 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
12-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
SEFI study finds drug-resistant typhoid strain in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad: Typhoid, once seemingly under control, may now be resistant to key antibiotics in Gujarat. A new surveillance study spanning eight major Indian cities spotlighted Ahmedabad as ground zero for antibiotic-resistant Salmonella Typhi (S Typhi) — the bacteria that causes typhoid. The study revealed that in Ahmedabad, these bacteria resist not just ceftriaxone, a critical antibiotic but several frontline drugs, leaving doctors with fewer options. Conducted by the Surveillance for Enteric Fever in India (SEFI) network from 2021 to 2024, the study was published on April 21, 2025, in Nature's Scientific Reports, flagged Ahmedabad as a hotspot in Western India for this new strain. "We identified 18 S Typhi isolates from Ahmedabad that were resistant to ceftriaxone, indicating a larger emergence of third-generation cephalosporin-resistant S Typhi in Western India with a novel plasmid profile," states the had collected the samples from Ahmedabad between June 1, 2022 and April 30, 2023. These 18 isolates didn't just resist ceftriaxone, they also stood their ground against ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, and the combination of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim. Fortunately, they remained vulnerable to azithromycin and the older antibiotic chloramphenicol, stated the research experts warn this is no reassurance. Experts feel there is an urgent need to update treatment guidelines and intensify monitoring efforts participating centres included AIIMS Delhi, Christian Medical College Ludhiana, Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya Delhi, Christian Medical College Vellore, St John's Medical College Bengaluru, and institutions in Chandigarh, Kolkata, and Ahmedabad. "While sporadic ceftriaxone resistance has been documented in the past across North, South, East India and Mumbai, this Ahmedabad cluster is the largest coherent group so far, with its distinct genetic profile indicating local evolution rather than isolated anomalies," the study the study period, a total of 2,70,228 blood and bone marrow cultures were performed across the participating of the drug-resistant S Typhi from Ahmedabad showed they belonged to the H58 lineage, specifically subtype 4.3.1.2.2, known for antibiotic resistance. These bacteria carried multiple resistance genes, including those for cephalosporins (like ceftriaxone), fluoroquinolones, sulfonamides, and these resistance genes were found on a single plasmid called IncFIB(K). Plasmids are small DNA structures that can easily transfer between bacteria, allowing rapid spread of resistance. Notably, these bacteria also carried two other plasmids (IncFIB(pHCM2) and IncX1) that did not contain resistance genes. The presence of all three plasmids together in these bacteria is a new finding, according to the study.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Ancient Killer Is Rapidly Becoming Resistant to Antibiotics, Study Warns
Typhoid fever might be rare in developed countries, but this ancient threat, thought to have been around for millennia, is still very much a danger in our modern world. According to research published in 2022, the bacterium that causes typhoid fever is evolving extensive drug resistance, and it's rapidly replacing strains that aren't resistant. Currently, antibiotics are the only way to effectively treat typhoid, which is caused by the bacterium Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S Typhi). Yet over the past three decades, the bacterium's resistance to oral antibiotics has been growing and spreading. In their study, researchers sequenced the genomes of 3,489 S Typhi strains contracted from 2014 to 2019 in Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India, and found a rise in extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Typhi. XDR Typhi is not only impervious to frontline antibiotics, like ampicillin, chloramphenicol, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, but it is also growing resistant to newer antibiotics, like fluoroquinolones and third-generation cephalosporins. Even worse, these strains are spreading globally at a rapid rate. While most XDR Typhi cases stem from south Asia, researchers have identified nearly 200 instances of international spread since 1990. Most strains have been exported to Southeast Asia, as well as East and Southern Africa, but typhoid superbugs have also been found in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada. "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 now. In 2016, the first XDR typhoid strain was identified in Pakistan. By 2019, it had become the dominant genotype in the nation. Historically, most XDR typhoid strains have been fought with third-generation antimicrobials, like quinolones, cephalosporins, and macrolides. But by the early 2000s, mutations that confer resistance to quinolones accounted for more than 85 percent of all cases in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Singapore. At the same time, cephalosporin resistance was also taking over. Today, only one oral antibiotic is left: the macrolide, azithromycin. And this medicine might not work for much longer. The 2022 study found mutations that confer resistance to azithromycin are now also spreading, "threatening the efficacy of all oral antimicrobials for typhoid treatment". While these mutations have not yet been adopted by XDR S Typhi, if they are, we are in serious trouble. If untreated, up to 20 percent of typhoid cases can be fatal, and today, there are 11 million cases of typhoid a year. Future outbreaks can be prevented to some extent with typhoid conjugate vaccines, but if access to these shots is not expanded globally, the world could soon have another health crisis on its hands. "The recent emergence of XDR and azithromycin-resistant S Typhi creates greater urgency for rapidly expanding prevention measures, including use of typhoid conjugate vaccines in typhoid-endemic countries," the authors write. "Such measures are needed in countries where antimicrobial resistance prevalence among S Typhi isolates is currently high, but given the propensity for international spread, should not be restricted to such settings." South Asia might be the main hub for typhoid fever, accounting for 70 percent of all cases, but if COVID-19 taught us anything, it is that disease variants in our modern, globalized world are easily spread. To prevent that from happening, health experts argue nations must expand access to typhoid vaccines and invest in new antibiotic research. One recent study in India, for instance, estimates that if children are vaccinated against typhoid in urban areas, it could prevent up to 36 percent of typhoid cases and deaths. Pakistan is currently leading the way on this front. It was the first nation in the world to offer routine immunization for typhoid. Health experts argue more nations need to follow suit. Antibiotic resistance is one of the world's leading causes of death, claiming the lives of more people than HIV/ AIDS or malaria. Where available, vaccines are some of the best tools we have to prevent future catastrophe. We don't have time to waste. The study was published in The Lancet Microbe. An earlier version of this article was published in June 2022. Differences in Our Mouth Spray Could Contribute to Infection 'Super Spreaders' Using Tech as You Get Older Could Reduce Your Risk of Dementia A Sign Deep Inside Your Eyes Could Warn of Early Dementia
