Expert­s say an outbre­ak of drug-resist­ant typhoi­d that began in Novemb­er 2016 is still spread­ingLONDON: An outbreak of typhoid fever in Hyderabad is being caused by an extensively drug resistant “superbug” strain, a sign that treatment options for the bacterial disease are running out, scientists said on Tuesday. Researchers from Britain’s Wellcome Sanger Institute who analysed the genetics of the typhoid strain found it had mutated and acquired an extra piece of DNA to become resistant to multiple antibiotics. An outbreak of drug-resistant typhoid that began in Hyderabad in November 2016 is still spreading, according to experts from Aga Khan University who worked with the Sanger team. The researcher found the bacterial strain causing the outbreak is now resistant to five antibiotics in total, more than seen in any outbreak before. Previous research by Sanger scientists published in 2015 found that the H58 strain of typhoid first emerged in South Asia 25 to 30 years ago.

Source: The Express Tribune February 20, 2018 12:50 UTC