Health

Why your typhoid tests always show positive

By Muzee Abdul

When you walk into a clinic or hospital seeking medical care, the last thing you expect to hear is that your typhoid test result is positive. It can be frustrating and confusing, especially if you have completed the full course of treatment and tried various medications. But why does this keep happening? Why do you keep testing positive for typhoid?

First, it’s important to understand what typhoid is and how it is diagnosed. Typhoid, also known as typhoid fever, is a bacterial infection caused by Salmonella typhi. It is typically spread through contaminated food or water, and common symptoms include high fever, weakness, stomach pain, and loss of appetite.

- Story continues after ad -

To diagnose typhoid, a healthcare professional will usually conduct a blood or stool test to check for the presence of the S. Typhi bacteria. If the test comes back positive, it means that the bacteria is present in your body and you have typhoid.

Now, let’s talk about why you may continue to test positive for typhoid even after completing treatment, No antibiotic resistance, No carrier state that is harbouring the bacteria in their body and No re-infection. The reasons why this may happen is because of the testing method Widal or rapid testing that is commonly used and it does not tell an old or current infection. 

The Widal test method is so good at detecting antibodies against the Salmonella bacteria in a patient’s blood sample. However, the method has limitations in terms of accuracy as it can give previous positive results, meaning it shows a typhoid infection that maybe current (IgM) or old (IgG). This can happen in patients who have previously had a typhoid infection and still have the antibodies in their system.

On the other hand, the culture test, which involves growing Salmonella bacteria from a patient’s sample, is more accurate to tell a current infection but takes longer and is slightly more expensive. This may explain why it is not commonly used in many healthcare facilities in resource-limited settings. Other methods such as the ELISA test and PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test are also more accurate but require specialized equipment and skilled personnel, making them less accessible in developing countries.

For healthcare professionals, it is essential to be aware of the factors that may contribute to a positive typhoid test result. Proper diagnosis, treatment, and patient education are key in effectively managing and preventing the spread of this infectious disease.

In conclusion, it is important for both healthcare providers and patients to understand the limitations of the Widal test and the need for confirmatory testing using more accurate methods. This will prevent unnecessary treatment and the risk of developing drug resistance. Patients who have previously had typhoid should also inform their healthcare provider to avoid misinterpretation of test results. With proper understanding and use of reliable testing methods, we can ensure accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of typhoid fever.

The author; Muzee Abdul, is a medical laboratory specialist.

Send us your story or opinion on: [email protected]. You can also follow Daily Express on WhatsApp for all the latest news and updates.



Daily Express is Uganda's number one source for breaking news, National news, policy analytical stories, e-buzz, sports, and general news.

We resent fake stories in all our published stories, and are driven by our tagline of being Accurate, Fast & Reliable.

Copyright © 2024 Daily Express Uganda. A Subsidiary of Rabiu Express Media Group Ltd.

To Top
Translate »