title: Determination by Widal agglutination of the baseline titre for the diagnosis of typhoid fever in two Nigerian states.
abstract: This study was carried out in Borno and Plateau States of Nigeria to determine the baseline titre for the diagnosis of typhoid fever using a single Widal test. Of 172 patients with symptoms and signs of typhoid fever, 92.4% and 90.7% had reciprocal O and H antibody titres respectively of 160 or above. On the other hand, 95.3% and 66.3% of the 937 healthy control subjects had reciprocal O and H antibody titres respectively of 80 or less. The results of this study suggest that in Borno and Plateau States of Nigeria a reciprocal O antibody titre of 160 and above in persons with illness whose symptoms and signs are compatible with typhoid fever could be considered diagnostic using the single Widal test.
authors.affiliation: Office of the Chief Medical Director, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Borno State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mohammed
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Chikwem
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gashau
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000372:Agglutination Tests; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D014435:Typhoid Fever / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial