The aim of the present study was to evaluate antimicrobial
susceptibility patterns with special reference to multidrug resistance,
susceptibility to ciprofloxacin, and bacteriophage typing of Salmonella
enterica serotype Typhi isolated from blood sent for culture in a
tertiary-care teaching hospital in eastern Nepal during January
2000\u2013December 2004. In total, 132 strains of S. enterica Typhi,
isolated from 2,568 blood culture samples collected from cases of
suspected enteric fever, were tested for susceptibility to
commonly-used antimicrobials by the disc-diffusion method. There were
35 multidrug-resistant strains. None of the isolates were resistant to
ciprofloxacin.Of 52 isolates tested for minimum inhibitory
concentration (MIC) of ciprofloxacin, 36 (69.23%) showed reduced
susceptibility (MIC 650.25 mg/L). Of 112 strains tested for
nalidixicacid susceptibility,86(76%) were resistant. Strains with
reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin and resistance to nalidixic
acid could be correlated. The commonest phage type was E1. Nalidixic
acid susceptibility could be a useful screening test for the detection
of decreased susceptibility of S. Typhi to ciprofloxacin, a drug which
is commonly used even for minor ailments in this area