Prospective evaluation of a rapid diagnostic test Typhidot for typhoid fever.
OBJECTIVE
Typhoid fever still continues to be a major public health problem around the world. A simple, reliable and affordable rapid diagnostic test has been a long felt need of the clinicians. We therefore prospectively evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of Typhidot test.


METHODS
The study was carried out between January 2002 and December 2003, on a total of 563 samples from patients clinically suspected to have typhoid fever; blood culture as well as serum for Typhidot test were received.


RESULTS
Of the 563 samples, Typhidot test and blood culture were positive in 36 patients, both the tests were negative for 503 patients. Typhidot test was positive for 9 patients with S. Paratyphi A infection. The sensitivity and specificity of the test using blood culture as gold standard were 92.3 and 98.8 per cent respectively for the typhoid fever.


CONCLUSIONS
Typhidot test is rapid, easy to perform and reliable test for diagnosing typhoid fever, useful for small less equipped laboratories as well as for those with better facilities.
Jesudason
Mary V
MV
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore 632004, India. micro@cmcvellore.ac.in
Sivakumar
S
S
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D006801:Humans; D010284:Paratyphoid Fever / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012482:Salmonella paratyphi A / Q000276:immunology; D012485:Salmonella typhi / Q000276:immunology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D014435:Typhoid Fever / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial