Antibiotic-Resistant Typhoid Strain Symptoms, Cure & Facts; 'Superbug' Spreading Worldwide

An antibiotic-resistant strain of typhoid fever is spreading in many countries worldwide, according to an international study.

The typhoid strain that comes from a single family of bacteria, called H58, is spreading globally and is considered to be an "ever-increasing public health threat," according to the research by international scientists from more than 20 countries, as reported by Huffington Post. The study is conducted from a wide-range of data on a human infectious agent.

Typhoid fever is an acute infectious disease and is contracted by drinking or eating contaminated food or water. According to WebMD, symptoms may include headaches, diarrhea, high fever, and abdominal pain. Typhoid fever is usually treated with antibiotics. However, the superbug with H58 strain is resistant to the drugs.

"This multidrug-resistant strain, H58, is resistant to a number of first-line antibiotics used to treat the disease and is continuing to evolve and acquire new mutations to newer drugs," according to Vanessa Wong of England's University of Cambridge and study author of the international study published in Nature Genetics.

The H58 strain first emerged around 25 to 30 years ago in South Asia, CBS News reports. It has slowly evolved to become one of the primary forms of Salmonella Typhi, the bacteria that causes typhoid fever. After its emergence, it has spread to Southeast Asia, Western Asia, East Africa, South Africa, and Fiji.

"H58 is displacing other typhoid strains, completely transforming the genetic architecture of the disease and creating a previously under-appreciated and on-going epidemic," according to the team of researchers.

Although vaccines are available, it is limited and not used in poorer countries. The study found that there is re-emergence of the infectious disease in Africa.

"Vaccinations are not currently in widespread use in typhoid-endemic countries," Wong said. "Instead, antibiotics are commonly used as a preventive measure. As a consequence, there is a rise in antibiotic resistance to many pathogens and in particular a resurgence of multidrug-resistant typhoid has been observed in some areas, including parts of Africa."

According to Kathryn Holt, a scientist from the Australia's University of Melbourne who worked on the study, the "superbug" is caused by the bacteria gaining resistance genes as the illness is spread from person to person, as reported by Reuters.

Typhoid fever affects over 30 million people globally and while typhoid isn't a direct threat to US residents, experts warn that travelers should get vaccinated.

"We recommend that people who are traveling to parts of the world where [typhoid] is endemic get the typhoid vaccine," says Dr. Wanda Filer of the American Academy of Family Physicians. The vaccine is said to be 50 to 80 percent effective against all strains of typhoid including the antibiotic-resistant, according to Health.com.