Abstract
Background: Typhoid fever is present in all parts of the world where water supplies and sanitation are substandard. Widal test is used as a serological technique to aid in the diagnosis of typhoid fever. Interpretation of Widal test depends upon the baseline titre which is prevalent amongst healthy individuals in a particular geographic area.
Aim: To determine the frequency of distribution of Salmonella antibodies and basal antibody titre in the community to suggest a minimum diagnostic titre for Widal test.
Materials and Method: Five hundred (500) sera collected from healthy individuals were tested by Widal tube agglutination test over a period of one year.
Results: Antibodies in titres +1/50 and above were seen in 62 (12.4%).Of these 62 samples 52(10.4%) had antibodies to Salmonella typhi ‘O’antigen (TO) and 9 samples (1.8%) showed the presence of antibodies to Salmonella typhi ‘H’antigen and 1 sample (0.2%) showed the presence of antibodies to Salmonella paratyphi A ’H’antigen. STO” antibody titre of +1/50 (7.6%) seen in 38 samples, +1/100 seen in 12 samples (2.4%) & +1/200 in 2 samples (0.4%).ST’H’+1/50 seen in 7 samples (1.4%) and +1/200 (0.4%) in 2.
Conclusion: Based on this study it seems appropriate to recommend the minimum diagnostic tire as +1/100 for ‘O’, 1/50 for ‘H’ antibodies of Salmonella typhi and 1/50 for ‘H ‘antibodies to Salmonella paratyphiA.
Keywords: Widal test, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella paratyphi A, Salmonella paratyphi B.
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Corresponding Author
Dr Raji T.K
Additional Professor, Microbiology Dept,
Govt. Medical College, Kozhikode
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v5i11.159
