Is Widal test still a usefull method as a routine early diagnostic for typhoid fever in hospitals?

Abstract

In this study, we carried out Widal test to establish whether it is still significant as a routine early diagnostic tool of typhoid fever in the present time. We used three groups of patients: the first two groups were hospitalized patients with fever, of which single blood specimen were taken and confirmed by culture as positive (group I) and negative (group II), and the third group was healthy blood donors. Anti O agglutinin titers regarded as positive were those exceeding 1:80. The sensitivity of single Widal test was 37%, specificity 97%, positive predictive value 91%, and negative predictive value 73%. Other serology tests developed currently, among others the use of outer membrane protein preparation of Salmonella typhi as an antigen in the ELISA test, have shown higher sensitivity and specificity than the Widal test. Therefore, the use of the Widal test as a routine early diagnostic tool for typhoid fever might need to be reconsidered.