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Enteric fever once toppled civilisations. However, it is also still a major scourge today. Caused by typhoid (S. Typhi) and paratyphoid (S. Paratyphi) bacteria, enteric fever tops over 14 million cases each year. Most of these cases are reported in Asia and connected with poverty. Better sanitation and access to clean water are crucial to prevent enteric fever but these take time and rely on political will and economic investment.

Vaccines can offer a cost-effect way to minimise the disease burden. While there are now effective vaccines for typhoid, there are no licensed vaccines exist for paratyphoid, which accounts for an estimated 3.3 million cases.

The Oxford Vaccine Group has begun a trial to test a new oral paratyphoid vaccine in human volunteers to check safety and immune responses. The vaccine has been developed by the University of Maryland. It is called a ‘challenge’ trial because participants receive a dose of paratyphoid bacteria to see how well the vaccine works.

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