No abstract

Enteric fever is a systemic infectious illness that poses public health challenge in developed and developing countries like Nigeria. This research work is aimed at determining the prevalence of typhoid fever infection among patients attending ABUTH Zaria-Kaduna State, Nigeria. Patients' biodata was obtained through structured questionnaire and diagnosis was done using venous blood sample collected from the study subjects. 216 blood samples were collected into blood culture bottles and Ethylene Diamine Tetra-acetic Acid (ETDA) bottles from the respondents and was analysed using cultural and Widal test techniques. 72 (33.3%) had typhoid fever using Widal test and none (0.0%) was positive for typhoid fever using blood culture. Bacterial isolates of medical significance, Staphylococcus aureus was detected in 10(4.6%) patients. The prevalence of typhoid fever was highest among the Huasa-Fulani ethnic group (35%), those in the age group ˃ 60 years (66.7%), those in tertiary education (42%), the employed (64%), those in the weight group 41-50 (49%) and those who are married (44%). The much talk on the prevalence of enteric fever in Zaria and other parts of Nigeria is due to the cheap and quick Widal test which is not reliable unlike the blood culture techniques. Diagnostic investigations of enteric fever required blood culture as confirmatory test and not the use of Widal test alone in other to avoid the intake of antibiotic by patients that do not need it.