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VIDEO: Developments in typhoid control include new vaccine
BALTIMORE — In this video from the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases’ Annual Conference on Vaccinology Research, Anita Zaidi, MBBS, SM, director of the vaccine development, surveillance and enteric and diarrheal diseases programs at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, talks about “some amazing developments” in typhoid control that have occurred over the past 3 years, including a new vaccine.
“Typhoid is a neglected infectious disease all over the world where there is poor water, sanitation and hygiene. It’s one of the most common ... bacteremic illnesses in children in developing countries,” Zaidi said.
She noted that the bacterium that causes typhoid fever, Salmonella serotype Typhi, is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, and that a large outbreak of extensively drug-resistant typhoid is ongoing in Pakistan.
“Typhoid could become an untreatable childhood illness, taking us back to the pre-antibiotic era when 10% to 30% of people who got typhoid died from it. It’s really important to have a vaccine in our toolkit to prevent typhoid and protect children,” she said.
Disclosure: Zaidi reports no relevant financial disclosures.