Article Research: Differentiation Between Typhoid and Typhus Fever Infection and Coinfection with Limited Resources in Iraq

Abstract

Enteric fever is caused by the Gram-negative bacilli Salmonella typhi and paratyphi, which have similar signs and symptoms to typhus and rickettsial illness. Both typhoid fever and rickettsia typhus, whether endemic or epidemic, have similar presentations, making it difficult to distinguish between the two diseases. As a result, co-infection of typhoid and typhus fever can be ignored if not recognized clinically. Serum was collected from 182 patients from the Suweib and fourth shurta areas who had a temperature of more than 38°C and two or more signs and symptoms of typhoid and typhus, such as headache lasting more than a week, rash, myalgia, arthralgia, and bleeding. Started with widal test slide method All result results confirmed by tube method Same samples investigated for typhus infection by weil-felix tests. Data entered to analyzed by SPSS program. the results were appeared of the 182 patients tested, 58 (18%) yielded results suggested that rickettsial infections or typhoid were the most likely because of their illnesses. patients’ age ranged from 8 to 75 years with mean age 29.10 years. The majority were female and mainly student (41.4%) and housewife (25.9%) by age and sex for the 58 patients for whom data were recorded. Age groups did not differ significantly (p > 0.5). The frequency of disease was 69% in female patients and 31% in male patients (p < 0.005). Finally, can Concluded Both widal and weil-felix test should done specially if no responses to typhoid treatment and depend on trial therapy by adding doxycycline in case that more sensitive and accurate tests are not available.