The present study was designed to study the clinical behaviour of a recent epidemic of typhoid fever in West Bengal. Of 46 cases studied, 67% (31) had chloramphenicol resistant typhoid fever. The chloramphenicol-resistant cases were comparatively severe in nature with higher complication and mortality rates. Salmonella typhi resistant to chloramphenicol were also resistant to ampicillin, cloxaxillin and cotrimoxazole. Strains of Salmonella typhi sensitive to chloramphenicol retained their sensitivity to these other antimicrobials.