Abstract

SIGNIFICANCE OF WIDAL TEST IN DIAGNOSIS OF TYPHOID FEVER IN ASSAM, INDIA.

Indu Sharma ?, T. L Devi1 and S.S Sen

ABSTRACT

Background: A study was conducted to assess the role of the Widal test in the diagnosis of typhoid fever in Assam, India. Materials and Method: A total of 674 donor sera samples were analysed by slide agglutination with Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi O and H antigens for screening of typhoid fever of which 203 patients were found to be positive for Widal test. Results: Highest agglutination for the overall data for the positive cases were found to be in H antigen with a titre of 1:80 in 56 patients followed by 1:640 titre in 54 patients, 1:160 titre in 33 patients and in 1:320 titre in 31 patients. Highest titre was observed that in O antigen in 34 patients followed by 1:640 titre in 32 patients, 1:160 titre in 33 patients and 1:320 titre in 27 patients. In antigen AH and BH less agglutination was observed. The test was found to be more sensitive in the age group of 11-20 years than in the adults at each cut-off for both O and H antigens but was less specific at O- and H-antigen titres of 100. Conclusion: Both O and H agglutinin titres of 1/200 are recommended as being considered of diagnostic significance; also the Widal test being easy to perform, inexpensive, and relatively non-invasive test can be of diagnostic value in situations where blood cultures cannot be obtained.

Keywords: Typhoid fever, Widal test, enteric fever.