Quinolones in the treatment of typhoid fever.

Typhoid fever is a severe systemic disease. Treatment with appropriate antibiotics is essential for enteric fever. Development and rapid dissemination of resistance to chloramphenicol, ampicillin, and cotrimoxazole have complicated the treatment of enteric fever. Therapeutic options for the treatment of multidrug-resistant strains are limited to third generation cephalosporins or fluoroquinolone antibiotics. Recent clinical experiences have shown that quinolones are the drugs of choice for treatment of enteric fever. Studies have shown that shorter courses may be sufficient to cure uncomplicated typhoid fever.