Paratyphoid B fever: tracing the history of the disease to improve surveillance

Paratyphoid B fever is caused by pathogenic bacteria of the species Salmonella enterica, serotype Paratyphi B. In Europe, the disease was most prevalent in the 20th century, so it has not been widely studied using modern techniques. Scientists from the Institut Pasteur have made new findings after studying more than 500 strains of the bacteria isolated since 1898, from human and animal infections and food products. They traced the evolutionary history of the pathogen, which is still circulating and causing disease today, mostly in areas with poor hygiene. They have also developed genomic tools for global identification and surveillance, to facilitate monitoring and prevention of paratyphoid B fever.

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