title: Antibody levels to Salmonella typhi and paratyphi in Nigerians.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the antibody titre levels to typhoid/paratyphoid fever organisms among apparently healthy volunteers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  General community and University Teaching Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Volunteer sample of 323 apparently healthy individuals with body temperatures < or = 37.8 degrees C.
  
  
  METHODS
  Questionnaire administration to classify volunteers into three socio-economic status (SES).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 35.29% of the apparently healthy population in Jos community with antibodies to typhoid/paratyphoid fever organisms. The presence of these antibodies were neither sex nor SES related. Normal antibody titres were up to 1:40 and 1:80 for O and H Salmonella antigens respectively. Contrary to the general belief, typhoid/paratyphoid fevers have not affected virtually everybody in Nigeria. The difference between those without previous history and those with previous history was significant (p < 0.05) with those in the former category having a higher percentage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For a single sero-diagnosis to have any diagnostic value in Jos community and its environs, only a four-fold rise to what has been found to be normal should be significant. This means that only titres of 1:160 and 1:320 and above for O and H antigens should be considered significant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Jos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Tanyigna
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ayeni
authors.forename: E N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Okeke
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Onah
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Bello
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D010284:Paratyphoid Fever / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012482:Salmonella paratyphi A / Q000276:immunology*; D012485:Salmonella typhi / Q000276:immunology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012698:Serologic Tests / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014435:Typhoid Fever / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial