Clinical features of an outbreak of extensive drug resistant typhoid fever / 中华传染病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To analyze the clinical features of an outbreak of extensive drug resistant typhoid fever, and to provide experience for the diagnosis and treatment of drug resistant typhoid fever.Methods:Seven patients with confirmed diagnosis of extensive drug resistant typhoid fever who visited Beijing You′an Hospital, Capital Medical University, from January 27 to February 15, 2022 were included. The clinical characteristics, drug sensitivity tests, consultation and treatment history and prognosis of the patients were analyzed through descriptive study.Results:Of the seven extensive drug resistant typhoid fever patients, three were male and four were female, one of whom was pregnant (at 32-week gestation), aged (29.8±6.8) years, with a range of 22 to 42 years. There were seven cases with fever, and the course of fever ranged from six to 20 days. There were five cases with diarrhea and lack of typhoid-specific manifestations such as rose spot, apathetic facial expression and relatively slow pulse. Four cases were complicated with intestinal bleeding and six cases developed liver function injury. Six cases had loss or decrease in eosinophil ratio and two cases had decreased white blood cell count. The results of drug susceptibility tests showed that seven strains of Salmonella typhi were resistant to chloramphenicol, ampicillin, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, quinolones, ceftriaxone, cefepime, ceftazidime, cefuroxime, and sensitive to carbapenem antibiotics, tigecycline and piperacillin/tazobactam. All seven cases had a history of antimicrobial use before admission. One case was administered with intravenous ceftizoxime for seven days after admission. After discharge, cefixime was administered orally for seven days. Six patients were given intravenous piperacillin sodium/tazobactam sodium for 14 days. All blood/fecal cultures were negative and the patients were cured and discharged. During the follow-up, one patient developed splenic abscess. All the seven patients were residents of the same apartment in Beijing City, and there were water cuts and turbid odors in the incubation period, which were considered as typhoid fever outbreak caused by waterborne transmission. Conclusions:With the use of antimicrobial agents, the typical clinical manifestations of typhoid fever are absent, and the drug resistance rates to quinolone and third-generation cephalosporins increase. Appropriate antimicrobial agents should be selected and the anti-infection course should be prolonged.