ABSTRACT
To find out the common strains causing enteric fever in the population and to compare the antimicrobial susceptibility strains isolated from indoor and outdoor patients. A total of 300 clinically suspicious cases of enteric fever were enrolled from the wards and OPDs of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center [JPMC], National Institute of Child Health [NICH] and Civil Hospital, Karachi [CHK] during the period of August 2004 to May 2005. Important laboratory investigations carried out included blood culture, slide agglutination test and antimicrobial susceptibility. Out of 300 patients selected 172 proved positive for Salmonella with 87.2% being S.typhi, 21 [12.2%] Para A and 1 [0.6%] Para B. Among the 86% indoor and 14% out door cases positive, 70.3% were from NICH, 15.1% from Civil Hospital, Karachi while 14.5% from JPMC respectively. Catchment area distribution showed 28.7% from East, 28% from South, 16.7% from Central, 14% from Malir, 5.7% from West and the remaining 7% were from outside Karachi. Chloramphenicol sensitivity was 47 [27%], ampicillin 44 [25.6%], trimethoprim sulphamethoxazole 4 [2.32%], cefixime 167 [97%], ceftriaxone 169 [98.8%] and ofloxacin 170 [98.8%]. Typhoid afflicts a large number of people in Karachi. Provision of safe drinking water, hygienic food and efficient sewerage system are therefore mandatory for prevention of typhoid