We compared cefixime with chloramphenicol in a trial for treatment of children with culture positive typhoid fever. Twenty children were given cefixime 10 mg/kg/day orally for 14 days and twenty received chloramphenicol 50 mg/kg/day orally for 14 days. On entry the clinical characteristics of the two groups were comparable. Clinical cure was observed in 18 (90%) patients treated with cefixime and 9 (45%) treated with chloramphenicol. Of 11 patients who did not respond to chloramphenicol, 10 were switched over to cefixime and all were cured. Overall 28 out of 30 cases (93.3%) were cured by cefixime.