By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a travel notice this week for Pakistan due to the ongoing outbreak of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) typhoid fever.

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Health officials in Pakistan have reported an ongoing outbreak of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) typhoid fever that began in Hyderabad in November 2016.

The strain of Salmonella Typhi does not respond to most antibiotics used to treat typhoid fever. The outbreak has spread to provinces throughout the country, and several deaths have been reported. XDR typhoid associated with travel to Pakistan has been reported in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Australia.

All travelers to Pakistan are at risk of getting XDR typhoid fever. Those visiting friends or relatives are at a greater risk than tourists or business travelers.

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CDC recommends that all travelers (even short-term travelers) to South Asia, including Pakistan, be vaccinated against typhoid fever before travel. Two typhoid fever vaccines are available in the United States—an oral vaccine and an injectable vaccine. Travelers should take one or the other. The oral vaccine, approved for people 6 years old or older, should be taken as directed, at least 1 week before departure. The injectable vaccine is approved for people 2 years old or older; travelers should receive the injectable vaccine at least 2 weeks before departure. Neither vaccine is 100% effective, so travelers should also practice safe eating and drinking.

If you travel abroad and get sick while traveling, seek medical care. If you get sick after returning to the United States, seek medical care and tell your health care provider where and when you traveled. Do not prepare food for other people.