Details
Category: Volume 05 Issue 10 October 2017
Hits: 1303

Title: A Study on Antibodies against Salmonella Typhi and Paratyphi in a Healthy Adults Population at Kulasekharam, Tamil Nadu

Authors: Dr Aswathy, Dr Indu.P, Dr Vasantha Babu, Dr Umapathy

 DOI:  https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v5i10.173

Abstract

Enteric fever remain as an important public health problem globally and it is a major cause of morbidity in the developing world. Typhoid fever is caused by Salmonella typhicc and a less severe disease, paratyphoid fever is caused by Salmonella paratyphi A, B and C. widal test is a tube agglutination test done in most of the clinical laboratories used for the diagnosis of enteric fever. Antibodies against O antigen of Salmonella typhi and H antigens of Salmonella typhi and paratyphi A and B are defeated and antibody titre is measured by doing this test in cases with clinical suspicion. In India where enteric fever is endemic, the serum of a proportion of healthy people contain antibodies capable of reacting to a variable titre, in widal test. A study was conducted by the Department of Microbiology at Sri Mookambika Institute of Medical Sciences (SMIMS), Kulasekharam, Tamil Nadu during a period of one year from November 2011 to October 2012 to find out the basal antibody titres against O and H antigens of Salmonella typhi and AH and BH antigens of Salmonella paratyphi A and B respectively in a healthy population between the age group of 15 to 45 years of age in the local area. A proportion of Medical and paramedical Staff and students of the Institute were also included in the Study. A total number of 250 samples of blood collected from the persons in the study group and widal test was performed in the clinical Microbiology laboratory with the serum seperatated from the samples after centrifugation. Of the 250 sera tested, 137 (54.8%) showed agglutination in the dilution of <1:20, for Salmonella O antibody, 176 (70.4%) showed H antibody titre in 1:20 dilution, 234 (93.6%) and 232 (92.8%) showed H antibodytitre in 1:20 dilution for Salmonella paratyphi A and B respectively. None of the samples showed antibody titres above 1:80 for TO, 1:160 for TH, AH and BH antibodies. The cut off limit was similar to the values reported from many other students conducted in different endemic areas in India.

Keywords: Typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever, widal test, Antibody titre, Salmonella typhi and Salmonella paratyphi.

References

  1. Cherian .T, Sridharan.G, Mohandas .v, Jacob John T, Prevalence of Salmonella typhi O and H antibodies in the serum of infants  asnd preschool children Indian Paediatrics, 1990; vol. 27:293-294.
  2. Rattan, V. Maheswari, NK Maheswari et al. Application of modified widal test in specific diagnosis of enteric fever. Indian Peadiatrics 1990 vol:27: 295-297.
  3. forSyth JRL; Typhoid and paratyphoid fever. topley and wilson's Microbiology and Microbial Infections 1998. 9th edition Vol:3 :459-479.
  4. Sanjay S., Bhavesh P, Chitnis DS, 100 years of widal test and its reappraisal in an endemic area. Indian J Med. Res. 1997:vol.105:53-57.
  5. El-Shafie S: the widal test in a normal healthy populatiojn in the Sudan East Afri-can Med. J. 1991. April : 68 (4) 266-69.
  6. Mandell LG &Benett's Principles and practice of Infectious diseases.
  7. Crump JA, Luby SP, Mintz ED. The global burden of typhoid fever. WHO Bulletin : 2004 : 82:343-53.
  8. Olopoenia LA, king LA; widal agglutination test - 100 years later, Post Graduate medical Journal 2000; 76:80-84.
  9. Rasaily, P. Dutta, MR Saha. Value of a single widal test in the dianosis of Typhoid fever, Indian J. Med. Res. 1993:97:104-7.
  10. PJ Joshi, A Samuel, DS Dongre et al. Normal agglutinins against Enteric group of organisms in healthy subjects. Indian Journal of Medical Sciences. 1998:
  11. Pang, SD Pudecheary. Sginificance and value of the widal test in the diagnosis of typhoid fever in an endemic area. J. Clin. Path.1983; 4:36-37.
  12. KB Tanyigna, JA Ayeni. Antibody levels to Salmonella typhi and paratyphi in Nigerians. East Afr. Med. J 1999; 11: 623-5.
  13. EH Frtrnpong, feglo P Essel, M Ahun. Determination of Diagnostic widaltitres in Kumari, Ghana.West Afr. J. Med. 2000; 19:34-38.

Corresponding Author

Dr Aswathy

Consultant Microbiologist, KIMS Hospital,

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala