Morbidity and Mortality Associated with Typhoid Fever Among Hospitalized Patients in Hyderabad District, Pakistan, 2017-2018: Retrospective Record Review

Background Hyderabad, Pakistan, was the first city to witness an outbreak of extensively drug resistant (XDR) typhoid fever. The outbreak strain is resistant to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, fluoroquinolones, and third-generation cephalosporin, thus greatly limiting treatment options. However, despite over 5000 documented cases, information on mortality and morbidity has been limited. Objective To address the existing knowledge gap, this study aimed to assess the morbidity and mortality associated with XDR and non-XDR Salmonella serovar Typhi infections in Pakistan. Methods We reviewed the medical records of culture-confirmed typhoid cases in 5 hospitals in Hyderabad from October 1, 2016, to September 30, 2018. We recorded data on age, gender, onset of fever, physical examination, serological and microbiological test results, treatment before and during hospitalization, duration of hospitalization, complications, and deaths. Results A total of 1452 culture-confirmed typhoid cases, including 947 (66%) XDR typhoid cases and 505 (34%) non-XDR typhoid cases, were identified. Overall, ≥1 complications were reported in 360 (38%) patients with XDR typhoid and 89 (18%) patients with non-XDR typhoid (P Conclusions As this first XDR typhoid outbreak continues to spread, the increased duration of illness before hospitalization and increased rate of complications have important implications for clinical care and medical costs and heighten the importance of prevention and control measures.