REACTION OF A WIDAL REAGENT WITH SERUM SAMPLES FROM SUSPECTED TYPHOID PATIENTS

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Date
1997-04
Authors
AZIE MBUH, Florence
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Abstract
Blood samples from 222 patients referred for the Widal test in four hospitals located in Zaria and 52 blood samples from apparently healthy persons (controls) were examined for typhoid fever using the widal test and blood culture methods. Blood smears were also examined for malaria parasites. All serum samples were tested for antibodies to the somatic (0) and flagella (H) antigens of S. Typhi by the rapid slide widal screening test and rapid slide titration agglutination test. S. typhi isolates were tested for antibiotic susceptibility. Out of the 222 patient samples S. typhi O antibody titres greater than or equal to 1 in 20 were detected in 111 (50%). Antibody titres greater than or equal to 1 in 40 to the H antigen were detected in 190 (86%) patient samples. In the control group, 16 samples (30.1%) had anti O titres of greater or equal to 1 in 20, while anti H titres of greater or equal to 1 in 40 were detected in 40 (77%) samples. Over all a significant anti 0 titre of greater or equal to 1 in 160 was found in 56 patients (25.2%) and in 16 (11.5%) healthy persons. Sixty patients (27%) and 12 healthy persons (23.1%) had malaria parasites. Parasite density (ul) was higher in the patients than in the control group. A correlation analysis showed that there was no correlation between parasite count and Widal titres. Fourteen patient samples yielded S. typhi on culture while all control samples were culture negative. The difference between the incidence of typhoid fever by Widal (25.2%) and culture (6.3%) was statistically significant (P<0.01). Because of the wide distribution of antibodies detected by the widal test, clinicians are advised to be careful in making conclusions based on the Widal test. Laboratory diagnosis of typhoid fever should be based on culture or paired results of Widal tests. Although the level of parasitemia did not influence Widal titres there was wide occurrence of Salmonella antibodies in malaria patients and carriers. All S. typhi isolates were sensitive to chloramphenicol, tetracycline, nitrofurantoin cephalexin and floxacin while 7 (50%) isolates and 4(28.6%) isolates were resistant to ampicillin and co-trimoxazole respectively.
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A thesis submitted to the Postgraduate School Ahmadu Bello University, in partial fulfillment the requirements for the award of the Degree of Master of Science (M.Sc) Microbiology Department of Microbiology Faculty of Science Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria. APRIL, 1997
Keywords
REACTION,, WIDAL,, REAGENT,, SERUM,, SAMPLES,, SUSPECTED,, TYPHOID,, PATIENTS,
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