Ancient disease gains antibiotic resistance
Typhoid fever, a serious illness caused by bacteria, is still a huge problem in South Asia—and now it's getting harder to treat.
A new study found that some typhoid strains are resisting almost all the usual antibiotics, making doctors' jobs much tougher.
First seen in Pakistan, now it's everywhere
Researchers studied thousands of typhoid samples from 2014 to 2019 and saw that these "superbug" strains first showed up in Pakistan in 2016.
Since then, they've spread to places like the UK, US, and Africa.
With fewer medicines working, untreated typhoid can be deadly—killing up to 1 in 5 people if not treated—and around 11 million people get sick every year.
Solutions to tackle the crisis
Experts say rolling out typhoid vaccines widely—like Pakistan's national program—is key to stopping the spread and cutting down on antibiotic use.
But there's also an urgent push for new oral antibiotics so we don't run out of options if these resistant strains keep spreading.