Study Estimates 49 Lakh Cases Of Typhoid Fever In India In 2023

A study has estimated 49 lakh cases of typhoid fever and 7,850 deaths in India in 2023, with Delhi, Maharashtra and Karnataka together accounting for nearly 30 per cent of the national burden.

- Press Trust Of India

Findings published in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia also show that six lakh of the 7.3 lakh hospitalisations across the country were attributable to fluoroquinolone-resistance — a type of antibiotic, or antimicrobial, resistance.

Typhoid fever is a bacterial infection that spreads through contaminated food and water. Symptoms can start one to three weeks following exposure and include high fever, headaches, abdominal pain and fatigue. Treatment involves antibiotics and supportive care.

Researchers, including those from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Christian Medical College in Vellore, India, found that the states of Delhi, Maharashtra and Karnataka also had the highest rates of fluoroquinolone-resistant cases and deaths among the ten highest-burden states.