Bacteraemia with pleural effusions complicating typhoid fever caused by high-level ciprofloxacin-resistant Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi

Abstract

An unusual case of bacteraemia with bilateral pleural effusion caused by Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi in a 10-year-old previously healthy girl is reported. The organism was isolated from pleural fluid aspirate and from blood, and exhibited high-level ciprofloxacin resistance (MIC 16 μg/ml) associated with triple mutations in the QRDRs of the gyrA and parC genes leading to the amino-acid changes Ser83→Phe and Asp87→Asn in gyrA and Ser80→Ile in parC. The patient was successfully treated with parenteral ceftriaxone and intercostal chest tube drainage. The case is notable because of the important issue of antimicrobial resistance in S. Typhi and the therapeutic dilemma faced by clinicians regarding the empirical use of ciprofloxacin and newer fluoroquinolones.