Flash presentation: Impact of vaccination on antibiotic resistance and population structure of Salmonella Typhi in Harare, Zimbabwe

Carlos M Suligoy (University of Sheffield, UK)

14:40 - 14:45 Tuesday 12 July Morning

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Session overview

Typhoid fever, caused by the bacteria Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi, results in 26 million infections each year. The emergence and global spread of multi-drug resistant (MDR) and fluoroquinolone resistant S. Typhi is a major concern, as it compromises treatment options. Vaccines are increasingly viewed as a key tool in the fight against AMR, both by preventing infection with a resistant pathogen (direct) or reducing the need for antimicrobial treatment (indirect). In this project, our key goal is to investigate the impact of the 2019 typhoid conjugate vaccine campaign in Zimbabwe on circulating S. Typhi population structure and antibiotic resistance. S. Typhi isolates were collected between 2012 and 2020 and included 92 pre-campaign and 152 post-campaign samples. Bacterial population structures were analysed using Illumina sequencing, and changes in phenotypic and genotypic resistance were explored, using software including Shovill, Prokka, Roary, Scoary, Mykrobe, and Genotyphi. Following the campaign there was an overall reduction in typhoid cases in the populations vaccinated. We found no changes in the bacterial population structure or in measured phenotypic or genotypic resistance over time or in comparison to the non-vaccinated adult population. While effective typhoid vaccination is likely to reduce the overall disease burden in the population, there is no evidence of short-term alteration to the profile of S. Typhi causing human infection.

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