Of 2356 strains of Salmonella typhi isolated in Britain in the 8-year period 1978-85, 2345 (99.53%) were sensitive to all antibiotics tested and 11 (0.47%) were chloramphenicol-resistant; chloramphenicol resistance was plasmid-mediated in 6 strains. It is concluded that chloramphenicol remains a satisfactory first-line choice of drug for typhoid fever in Britain.