Comparison of the Widal test and a modified 2-mercaptoethanol Widal test for the diagnosis of enteric fevers

ABSTRACT

1. Develop a modified version of slide Widal test [2- mercaptoethanol modified Widal test] to differentiate between current/recent and previous typhoid and paratyphoid [enteric] fevers. 2. Evaluate the utility of the 2ME-modified Widal test [2ME-MWT]. A comparative study between conventional Widal test, and 2ME-MWT in the light of bacterial culture of clinical specimens. Three hundred and fifty individuals suspected to have enteric fevers [ENFS] were studied in Mosul City, Iraq. These patients were 246 [70.3%] females and 104 [29.7%] males with age ranged from 5- 84 years [X +/- SD =32 +/- 0.8]. They were all tested by conventional Widal and 2ME-MWT as well by culture of their blood, stool and urine. It was found that 200/350 [57.1%] of tested patients had positive Widal test [titer [3] light of the culture findings, it was found that the positive predictive value [PPV] of the conventional Widal test was 10.5%, while that of 2ME-MWT was 77.3%. The 2ME-MWT can be considered as a valuable test for the differentiation between current/recent and previous typhoid and paratyphoid fevers