Significance and value of the widal test in the diagnosis of. Widal, french physician, 18621929 an agglutination test used to aid in the diagnosis of salmonella infections such as typhoid fever. Widal test is a serological method to diagnose enteric fever or typhoid which is caused by the infection with pathogenic microorganisms like salmonella typhi. Widal test is the most widely used diagnostic test for typhoid fever in developing countries. Hiper widal test teaching kit slide test himedia laboratories. There are many controversies regarding the widal test especially involving the quality of the antigens used and interpretation of the result, particularly in endemic areas. This test measures the level of cold or febrile agglutinins in the blood that causes red blood cells to stick together at low or high temperatures. A similar study conducted in egypt indicates that a negative result of widal test would have a good predictive value of the disease npv 98% but positive result would have a very low predictive value for typhoid fever ppv 5.
Widal test is known to be one of the most reliable serological tests for enteric fever or undulant fever by bacteria causing typhoid and malaria where the serum is mixed with a specific antibody. Widal test is a serological test which is used for the diagnosis of enteric fever or typhoid fever. Interpretation of serologic tests for typhoid fever. The widal test has been in use for more than a century as an aid in the diagnosis of typhoid fever. This can be done as a slide method or as a tube method.
Comparison of widal test with immunochromatography and. Pdf clinical application of the widal test researchgate. Widal test, introduction and procedure in lab youtube. This study aimed at evaluating the performance of widal test and stool culture in the laboratory diagnosis of typhoid fever using blood culture as gold standard. The frequency distribution of semi quantitative slide agglutination titration test of widal test in febrile patients suspected of typhoid fever in st.
The widal tube agglutination test was done on all sera by the conventional aggluti nation method7 using commercially avail able antigens span diagnostic. Many studies have produced data which had cast serious doubts on the value of the widal test and thus reappraisal of the role of a single widal test is needed. The widal test is one method that may be used to help make a presumptive diagnosis of enteric fever, also known as typhoid fever. Comparative study of widal test against stool culture for. Widal test is one of the best, easy, cheap and simple method to diagnose typhoid fever 18 andualem et al. Over 100 years since its introduction as a serologic means of detecting the presence of typhoid fever, the widal test continues to be plagued with controversies involving the quality of the antigens used and interpretation of the result, particularly in endemic areas. However no warranty or guarantee whatsoever is made or is to be implied with respect to such information or with respect to any product, method or apparatus referred to herein. These microorganisms are transmitted to the human body by means of food and drinks that are contaminated with fecal matter. Widal test in which, 48 samples 48% were showed positive reaction with slide and tube agglutination method.
The recommended method of performing the widal test is by the tube agglutination technique where serial twofold dilutions of the subjects serum from 1. Laboratory diagnosis of enteric fever includes blood culture, stool culture and serological test. Widal test is still a common way of diagnosing enteric fever cases in several countries. Summary enteric fever occurs when pathogenic microorganisms like s.
The recommended method of performing the widal test is by the tube agglutination technique were serial twofold dilutions of the subjects serum from 1. It helps to detect presence of salmonella antibodies in a patients serum. The widal test detects agglutinating antibodies against the o and h antigens of s. Get your query answered 247 only on practo consult. The widal test is an old serologic assay for detecting igm and igg antibodies to the o and h antigens of salmonella. This test was developed by georges ferdinand widal in 1896 and helps to detect presence of salmonella antibodies in a patients serum. Typhoid fever the common cause of morbidity and mortality especially in the developing countries where widal test is routinely used as diagnostic tool to rule out the disease. Diagnostic value of widal test in the diagnosis of typhoid. Value of a singletube widal test in diagnosis of typhoid. Widal test is an agglutination test which detects antibodies in patients serum. Widal originally described the test to diagnose salmonella enterica serotype paratyphi b infection patients infected with s. Value of single widal the definitive diagnosis of typhoid. These tests require specialized equipment and people who know how to use it, however, so the simpler widal test may be used instead. Widal test is a serological method to diagnose enteric fever or typhoid which is caused by the infection with pathogenic microorganisms like salmonella typhi,salmonella paratyphi a, b and c.
But please keep in mind widal test should be done only after 7 days of fever. Introduction, principle, procedure, result interpretation, applications and limitations introduction. This method of diagnostic test is based upon a visible agglutination reaction either in a test tube or on a slide between antibodies of patient. Widal test is almost the most widely used method for diagnosis of typhoid fever in many developing countries including iraq, though it is. It is an assumptive serological test used for undulant fever or enteric fever. Widal test introduction, principle, procedure, interpretation and limitation. Process of reading widal test report is quite comfortable where you will have to check for the highest dilution of the serum. Molecular identification of salmonella enterica serovar. The widal agglutination test, devel oped by f widal in 18961 to aid in the diagnosis of typhoid fever, utilises a sus pension of killed salmonella typhi as antigen. Widal test interpretation, normal values, procedure. The widal test is used in the diagnosis of typhoid fever. It measures agglutinating antibody levels against o and h antigens.
Widal test is a tube agglutination test employed in the serological diagnosis of enteric fever. Widal test is an agglutination test which detects the presence of serum agglutinins h and o in patients serum with typhoid and paratyphoid. Widal test is a serological test which is used for the diagnosis of. When running in the tube then incubate tubes for 12 hours or overnight. Dilution of patients serum are tested against suspensions of the different proteus strains. Widal slide and tube test principle and result interpretation.
Typhoid fever is significant cause of morbidity across the world, with an estimated. The recommended widal test is by tube agglutination method comments this test measures somatic o and flagellar h antibodies against typhoid and paratyphoid bacilli. Unfortunately, this method is slow and may take 714 days to confirm the diagnosis. Enteric fever refers to typhoid and paratyphoid caused by salmonella typhi and salmonella paratyphi a, b, c respectively.
Widal test objective, principle, procedure, types, results, advantages and limitations. This test detects the o and h antigen of salmonella typhi and paratyphi a,b and c. In modern countries, testing for typhoid is usually done using a blood, stool, urine, or bone marrow culture. In cases of salmonella infection, it is a demonstration of the presence of o. The widal test is a bacterial agglutination test which utilizes o and h antigens from enteric organisms. The test was developed by greembaum and widal in 1896.
Tube agglutination has more accuracy as compared to the slide agglutination technique. The test is named after georges fernand isidore widal, a french physician and bacteriologist, born march 9, 1862, algeria. The method relies on a reaction in a test tube or on a slide between antibodies present in the infected persons blood sample and specific antigens of s. Widal test remains one of the best, easily accessible, cheap and simple method for the diagnosis of typhoid fever. The diagnostic value of the widal test was assessed in an endemic area. However, a slide widal test is more popular among diagnostic laboratories as it gives rapid results. Weilfelix test is based on crossreactions which occur between antibodies produced in acute rickettsial infections with antigens of ox ox 19, ox 2, and oxk strains of proteus species. Enteric fever part 3 typhoid enteric fever diagnosis. Introduction of widal test widal test is a serological test that is done for the diagnosis of typhoid fever caused by salmonella organism. Low sensitivity for widal test may also be related to the data collection time. Widal test is used for the diagnosis of enteric fever. Presenting patients aged between 5 to 82 years with symptoms clinically suspected to be of typhoid.
Typhoid or enteric fever is caused by a gram negative bacteria salmonella enterica salmonella typhi or salmonella paratyphi, found in the intestine of man. Diagnostic efficacy of widal slide agglutination test against widal. Salmonella typhi rod shaped, flagellated, aerobic, gram ve bacilli. Preparation for widal test slide agglutination test h suspension of bacteria is prepared by adding 0. Although tube agglutination is the standard, some manufacturers have adapted it for slide agglutination. Classic methods revisited widal agglutination test postgraduate. This project was designed to confirm the diagnosis of typhoid fever from stool culture of widal test positive patients using molecular method. Widal test definition at, a free online dictionary with pronunciation, synonyms and translation. The widal test is a test procedure that involves mixing of the bacteria which cause typhoid fever to the blood consisting of certain antibodies taken from an infected person. Widal test introduction, principle, procedure, interpretation and. The test was done on 300 normal individuals, 297 nontyphoidal fevers and 275 bacteriologically proven cases of typhoid. Weilfelix is a nonspecific agglutination test which detects antirickettsial antibodies in patients serum.
Of 300 normal individuals, 2% had an h agglutinin titre of 1160 and 5% had an o agglutinin titre of 1160. Serum samples for the widal test were collected from three groups. I had typhoid fever month ago,my widal test is 180 for o. Hiper widal test teaching kit tube test himedia laboratories. Test patients had suspected typhoid fever and a blood culture positive for salmonella typhi n 1,400 or salmonella paratyphi a n 45. Newer serologic assays are somewhat more sensitive and specific than the widal test, but are infrequently available. Although the test is no longer commonly performed in the united states or other developed countries, it is still in use in many emerging nations where enteric fever is endemic and limited resources require the use of.
Widal test was developed by f widal in 1896 and is a serological method for diagnosing enteric or typhoid fever blood test for typhoid caused by infection with pathogenic microorganisms such as salmonella typhi, salmonella paratyphi a, b and c. Critical assessment of the conventional widal test in diagnosis of typhoid fever. The agglutinins usually appear at the end of the first week of infection and increase steadily till third. A comparative study of widal test with blood culture in. In 1896 and named after its inventor, georgesfernand widal, is a presumptive serological test for enteric fever or undulant fever whereby bacteria causing typhoid fever is mixed with a serum containing specific antibodies obtained from an infected individual. It is conclude, that even today, the widal test remains one of the best, easily accessible, cheap and simple method for the diagnosis of typhoid fever.
Other problems with the widal test include the fact that it cannot distinguish between someone who currently has typhoid, someone who is a carrier, and someone who has been vaccinated against the illness. The widal test was developed over a century ago and remains one of the worlds most widely used diagnostic tests but suffers from significant limitations in its sensitivity and specificity, as well as reliability. Widal test is a common agglutination test employed in the serological diagnosis of enteric fever. Widal test is an agglutination test which detects the presence of serum agglutinins h and o in patients serum with typhoid and paratyphoid fever. Comparative study of widal test against stool culture for typhoid fever suspected cases in southern ethiopia gemechu ameya,1 edemew atalel,2 berhanu kebede,3 bethel yohannes4 1department of medical laboratory science, college of medicine and health sciences, arba minch university, arba minch, 2department of medical laboratory science, durbetie primary hospital, amahara, 3department of. Pdf diagnostic value of widal test in the diagnosis of. Significance and value of the widal test in the diagnosis.
Gillespie mb, bch, bao, mrcpuk, mrcpath, in medical microbiology illustrated, 1994. The test is unreliable, but is widely used in developing countries because of its low cost. The bacterium is spread due to intake of food or water contaminated with the faeces of an infected person poor hygienic conditions. The diagnostic value of an acutephase singletube widal test for suspected typhoid fever was evaluated with 2,000 vietnamese patients admitted to an infectious disease referral hospital between 1993 and 1998. The widal test detects the presence of serum antibodies o and h in patients with typhoid fever. There are a number of problems with widal agglutinations, most.