Incidence of Typhoid Fever and Antibiogram of Salmonella typhi Isolated from Patients in General Hospital Lafia, Nasarawa State

Typhoid fever, caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, remains a significant cause of febrile illness and hospitalization in Nigeria, particularly in areas with limited access to safe water and sanitation infrastructure. This study determined the incidence of typhoid fever and characterized antibiotic resistance profiles of S. typhi isolates from febrile patients at General Hospital Lafia, Nasarawa State, North Central Nigeria. Blood samples were collected from 200 febrile patients over eight months and cultured in bile broth and subculture on Salmonella-Shigella agar. Confirmed isolates were serotyped using commercial antisera and subjected to disk diffusion susceptibility testing against 12 antibiotics. Results revealed a bacteriologically confirmed typhoid fever incidence of 18.5 percent. Multidrug resistance to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, and co-trimoxazole (the classical MDR Salmonella Typhi profile) was detected in 45.9 percent of isolates. Fluoroquinolone resistance was recorded in 27 percent of isolates, while no ceftriaxone-resistant strains were identified. Risk factors including consumption of street food, untreated water use, and open defecation practices were significantly associated with confirmed typhoid fever cases. These findings highlight the clinical and epidemiological burden of drug-resistant typhoid fever in North Central Nigeria and support the prioritization of vaccines, water hygiene improvements, and fluoroquinolone-sparing treatment regimens. Keywords: typhoid fever, Salmonella typhi, multidrug resistance, fluoroquinolone, Nasarawa.