Original Research Article
Year: 2019 | Month: January | Volume: 9 | Issue: 1 | Pages: 6-12
Patterns of Widal test Results among Patients Suspected to Have Typhoid Fever Attending Bsuth Makurdi Nigeria
Godwin Terver Jombo1, Emmanuel Msugh Mbaawuaga2, Usman Ahmed1, Paul Ogor Abba3
1Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Health Sciences, Benue State University Makurdi, Nigeria
2Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Benue State University, Makurdi Nigeria
3Department of Medical Microbiology, Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, Nigeria
Corresponding Author: Godwin Terver Jombo
ABSTRACT
Widal agglutination test which is the main laboratory procedure for diagnosis of typhoid fever in our rural and urban settings has received cautious acceptability and often outright rejection in other places. This study was set up to ascertain suitability or otherwise of Widal test in the diagnosis of typhoid fever among hospital attendees with clinical diagnosis of typhoid fever. Three hundred and eighty-nine patients with clinical diagnosis of typhoid fever attending Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) Makurdi between November 2016 and April 2017 were consecutively recruited into the study. Blood and stool samples were collected where Widal test and cultures were carried out on them respectively.
Among the febrile patients 40.1% (n=156) and 59.9% (n=233) respectively had Widal agglutination tests titres of <1: 80 and ≥1: 80 while five (1.3%) of the patients grew Salmonella in stool. Analysis of the results showed the following: Sensitivity (O =73.8%, H = 25.3%); Specificity (O = 77.1%, H = 79.8%); Positive Predictive Value PPV (O = 13.7%, H = 5.0), and Negative Predictive Value NPV (O = 99.4%, H = 96.9%). Widal agglutination test alone has limited value in routine diagnosis of typhoid fever due to its poor positive predictive value and hence should not be used alone or at best with extreme caution to establish diagnosis of typhoid fever.
Key words: Fever, Typhoid Widal Test.