Widal Test for Typhoid in Purnea
Widal Test for Typhoid in Purnea
- Widal test for done at Maurya Labs Purnea is meant to diagnose typhoid infection in the body
- No special preparation is required for Widal Test
- This test would provide four values –
Salmonella typhi, (O)
Salmonella typhi, (H)
Salmonella paratyphi (AH)
Salmonella paratyphi (BH)
What is a Widal Test
Typhoid Fever – This is a bacterial infection caused by Salmonella typhi which is present in the intestines. Most of the people who eat out are susceptible to this infection. Most of the cooks and waiters at the eateries are carriers of this bacteria. The main reason behind this is that when they are infected with typhoid fever they do not take complete course of antibiotics and stop medication as soon as the symptoms are relieved. This bacteria stays in their intestine and gets passed on through stool and urine. In India there is contamination of drinking water with sewerage lines at many places. This is also one of the big factor behind the wide prevalence of typhoid fever. Symptoms of typhoid fever are high grade fever, body weakness, loose motions and abdominal pain. If the disease is not diagnosed timely then outcomes can be quite dangerous. When the Salmonella typhi bacteria infects the body, antibodies are made by the body to fight the infection. Widal test is done to measure the antibodies in the blood.
Widal Test – Widal Test for Typhoid done at Maurya Labs Purnea is a quick and simple blood test that diagnoses the typhoid fever. In this test presence of antibodies against H and O types of antigens is measured using a slide or tube method. Widal test can be qualitative or quantitative. While the qualitative test gives positive or negative result, the quantitative test also gives the severity of the infection. A better test for typhoid done at Maurya Labs Purnea, Bihar is TyphiSure.
Reported Parameters
- Salmonella Typhi ‘O’ 1:320 < 1:80
- Salmonella Typhi ‘H’ 1:160 < 1:80
- Salmonella Paratyphi ‘AH’ < 1:80 < 1:80
- Salmonella Paratyphi ‘BH’ < 1:80 < 1:80
Result – Positive
All The Questions that you might have
- How is typhoid fever caused ?
- Is Widal a good test for Typhoid Fever ?
- Who should do the Widal Test ?
- How to interpret the results of Widal Test ?
- How can you protect yourself against typhoid fever ?
Typhoid is an enteric fever which affects the intestines. It is caused by a bacteria called Salmonella Typhi. Typhoid spreads mostly due to contaminated food and water. The disease is more common in people who are fond of eating at the roadside eateries. The cooks and the food handlers at these joints are carriers of this infection due to improper treatment during their infectious state. The utensils in which the food is served are the biggest source of this infection. Many people tend to wipe these utensils using a tissue paper but this does not remove the bacteria. A better option would be to eat out of disposable utensils. The Widal test for Typhoid done at Maurya Labs in Purnea is the basic test for the diagnosis of such kind of infection
Widal is a cheaper test for the diagnosis of typhoid fever and is more easily available even in smaller cities. Many doctors prefer typhidot test over Widal Test due to higher sensitivity of the former. Widal test comes negative in the earlier stage of the infection and will be positive for some months after the infection has subsided.
Your doctor will recommend you to take the Widal test, if you suffer from some specific symptoms. The common symptoms are:
- High Fever
- Body Weakness
- Abdominal Pain
- Loose motions
- Constipation
A Widal test needs thorough and precise interpretation and can be analysed by understanding the titre value. For a proper diagnosis, titres ranging from 1:20, 1:40, 1:60, 1:80, 1:160, and 1:320 need to be included in the diagnosis to obtain the typhoid test report.
- Negative Result – A negative, commonly considered a normal range for a Widal test result is when the value of O and H antigens are less than 1:160.
- Positive Result – A titre of O and H antigens greater than 1:160 to 1:320 is considered positive. A positive Widal test result means there is a presence of salmonella typhi in the blood.
The best protection against typhoid fever is to get vaccinated but the problem is that you have to take a booster dose every 2 years for it to remain effective. The other way to prevent typhoid fever is to maintain high levels of hygiene by washing hands thoroughly before meals. Avoid eating at roadside eateries or kiosks specially during the rainy season.
