Published October 30, 2025 | Version v1
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Comparison of rapid commercial tests with standard tube widal test for the diagnosis of enteric fever

  • 1. International Journal of Medical Science and Advanced Clinical Research (IJMACR)

Description

Abstract

Background: Typhoid fever, caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, remains a major health concern in developing countries due to poor sanitation and the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains. Traditional diagnostic methods such as blood culture and Widal test have limitations in early detection and reliability.

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of three rapid serodiagnostic kits—Enterochek IgM, SD Bioline Salmonella Typhi, and CTK—in comparison to the Widal tube test, focusing on sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV).

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from May to August 2013 in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at Shri Guru Ram Rai Institute of Medical & Health Sciences and Shri Mahant Indiresh Hospital, Dehradun. Twenty-two serum samples from febrile patients were tested using the Widal tube test and three rapid diagnostic kits.

Results: Enterochek IgM demonstrated the highest sensitivity (85%) and PPV (94%), while SD Bioline and CTK showed perfect specificity (100%) and PPV (100%). However, all kits had low NPV values: Enterochek IgM (25%), SD Bioline (20%), and CTK (18%).

Conclusion: Enterochek IgM emerged as the most sensitive rapid diagnostic kit, making it a valuable tool for early detection of typhoid fever. Despite its lower specificity, its high PPV supports its use in clinical settings. Larger-scale studies incorporating blood culture validation are recommended to confirm these findings.

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