Burden of typhoid fever in Sulaimania, Iraqi Kurdistan.

[typhoid]

Typhoid fever imposes a high disease burden worldwide , but resource limitations mean that the burden of typhoid fever in many countries is poorly understood .The authors conducted a prospective surveillance study at the adult and pediatric teaching hospitals in Sulaimania , Iraqi Kurdistan . All patients presenting with an undifferentiated febrile illness consistent with typhoid were eligible for enrollment . Enrolled patients had blood cultures and Brucella serologies performed . Incidence was calculated with reference to census data .Both typhoid fever and brucellosis were common , and the incidence of typhoid fever was 21 cases /100 Â 000 patient-years . Classic disease symptoms were uncommonly observed .Cost-effective surveillance projects to calculate disease burden of typhoid fever are practical and replicable . Typhoid has successfully adapted to the healthcare environment in Sulaimania . Additional work in the region should focus on antibiotic resistance and other enteric pathogens such as Brucella spp .