Typhoid Fever Research Papers

Enteric fever (Typhoid fever) is a systemic disease mostly occurs in developing countries and continues to be a major public health problem.[1,2] It is caused by dissemination of Salmonella typhi or Salmonella paratyphi serotypes A, B and C. Enteric fever is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, causing an estimated 27 million cases with 200000-600000 deaths annually.[3] The subcontinent India bears the brunt of the disease both in terms of absolute number of cases and drug resistant strains.[3,11] The annual incidence is highest (>100 cases/100000 population) in south-central and southeast Asia; medium (10-100 cases/100000 population) in the rest of Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand);

Because the clinical presentation of Enteric fever is relatively non specific, laboratory tests are important for accurate diagnosis and early treatment with suitable antibiotics for speedy recovery, prevention of emergence of complications, morbidity and deaths and also for the control of transmission.[4]

Out of 18 Blood culture positive patients, 10 patients were positive and 8 were negative on Widal testing. Out of 27 patients who were positive for Widal test, 10 patients were positive and 17 patients were negative to Blood culture[Table 2]. However out of 36 Typhidot positive patients, 16 tests positive and 20 tests negative to Blood culture. Meanwhile out of 18 Blood culture positive patients, 16 were positive and 2 patients were negative on Typhidot tests[Table 3]. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of Typhidot test were found to be 88.9%, 80.4%, 44.4% and 97.6% respectively. However sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of Widal test were 55.6%, 83.3%, 37%, and 91.4% respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of Typhidot and Widal test were 81.7% and 79.2% respectively[Table