What are the symptoms of typhoid fever? Which test should you take?

Typhoid fever, also known as Salmonella Fever, is a type of bacterial infection. It is caused by Salmonella Typhi, driving its name Salmonella fever. Typhoid fever commonly spreads through infected water and food. Due to the underdeveloped immune systems of children, they are more susceptible to the disease making the illness a major concern.

Why is the Typhoid Test important?

Typhoid is an infectious and fatal disease and due to its nature children under the age of 15 are more susceptible and the infections can be severe. Upto 1600 cases per 1,00,00 children are reported in India for children under 15 while the same for those over 15 and adults is up to 970.

Symptoms

High Fever: A sustained high fever is a hallmark symptom of typhoid fever. The fever may gradually increase over several days, reaching temperatures of 103°F (39.4°C) or higher.

Headache and Body Aches: Patients often experience severe headaches and body aches, making everyday activities uncomfortable.

Gastrointestinal Symptoms: Typhoid fever affects the digestive system, leading to symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Weakness and Fatigue: The infection can cause extreme weakness and fatigue, impacting the overall energy levels of the individual.

Rose Spots: In some cases, a distinctive rash called rose spots may appear on the trunk of the body. These rose-colored spots are a characteristic feature of typhoid fever.

Types of Tests

Modern Diagnostic and Research Centre offers two tests for Typhoid, the Typhidot test and the Widal test. The Typhidot test contains two tests, the IgM antibody test and the IgG antibody test. The Typhidot has proven 97% accuracy in detecting Typhoid fever, The IgM and IgM antibody tests used in combination provide a quick and accurate result. 

The Widal test is one of the most trusted procedures for testing Typhoid fever. It detects the O and H antibodies in the sample. While the procedure is lengthy and is more susceptible to errors, it provides both qualitative and quantitative results for the test.

Widal

The Widal test is a serological test that detects specific antibodies in the blood against Salmonella typhi. This test helps in confirming the diagnosis of typhoid fever. The Widal test detects the presence of O and H antibodies that confirm the Salmonella infection. Although a lengthy and error-prone procedure, the Widal test is one of the most trusted procedures for detecting Typhoid Salmonella infection. 

Typhidot

Typhidot test is a fairly new procedure however it has proven itself to be a ground-breaking milestone in the diagnostic world. Studies prove that Typhidot is 97% accurate in detecting Typhoid infection. The Typhidot test consists of two tests IgM and IgG antibodies tests which detect the presence of antibodies that our body produces during and after the Typhoid infection to fight the infection and build long-term immunity against it respectively.

Which test should you take?

While both the Typhidot and Widal tests hold significance in their own ways, the Typhidot test is considered more accurate when it comes to detecting Salmonella infection. If unsure of the infection the Typhidot test can provide a quick and accurate diagnosis helping to start the treatment. 

The Widal test provides both Qualitative and quantitative results for Typhoid infection. It provides deep insights into the infection helping in the course of treatment and providing much-needed information to the doctors. 

Book an online Appointment for Typhoid fever test in Gurgaon at MDRC, one of the best Diagnostic Labs in Gurgaon.