Salmonella typhi, also known as Salmonella typhimurium, is the bacterium that causes typhoid fever. According to information released in October 2005 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, typhoid fever occurs in only about 400 people in the United States every year, most often in people who travel to developing countries where it is still endemic. Salmonella typhi is transmitted by drinking or eating contaminated water or food. High fever, headache, abdominal pain and rash are possible symptoms of typhoid fever, which can be treated with antibiotics.
Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics
In a 2005 article on travel medicine published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, Basnyat reports fluoroquinolone antibiotics like ciprofloxacin are used to treat typhoid fever due to the development of bacterial resistance to many of the older antibiotics like chloramphenicol. Some types of Salmonella typhi are also becoming resistant to these antibiotics. The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute recommends additional testing of the bacterial strains.
Cephalosporin Antibiotics
Fluoroquinolones are not recommended for use in children or pregnant women, according to the prescribing information for ciprofloxacin. In children, pregnant women or patients with S. typhi that is resistant to fluoroquinolones, ceftriaxone may be used instead. This is an injectable cephalosporin-type antibiotic that is given for 7 to 14 days for typhoid fever.
Additional Antibiotics for Salmonella typhi
Other antibiotics that may be useful for S. typhi, according to Basnyat et al. include azithromycin, ampicillin and amoxicillin. These are dosed for one to two weeks in patients with typhoid fever. Bactrim is a combination antibiotic that can also be used to treat typhoid fever. It can be given intravenously or by mouth and requires two weeks of dosing when treating Salmonella typhi.
