THE MEDICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF TYPHOID AND PARATYPHOID FEVER, MEASURES TO IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

An estimated 11.9 to 26.9 million episodes of enteric fever occur each year, making it a significant worldwide health concern. Enhancing access to clean drinking water and funding sanitation and hygiene initiatives will be necessary for the long-term prevention of enteric fever. Typhoid Vi-conjugate vaccines (TCVs) have emerged as innovative short-to-medium-term typhoid fever control techniques, providing hope that disease control may be possible soon. The vague clinical presentation of enteric fever and the low sensitivity of widely used tests make diagnosis difficult. Investing in diagnostics could help with vaccination impact studies, enhance management, and improve disease burden estimations. There is a need for a new generation of trustworthy diagnostic tests that are also affordable, accessible, sensitive, and specific. Multidrug-resistant, fluoroquinolone-resistant, and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains of Salmonella Typhi have emerged and spread throughout the world, highlighting the significance of ongoing surveillance and proper antibiotic stewardship as part of a global strategy to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR).