Sero-Epidemiologial Study on Typhoid Fever In Kailali District, Far-Western Region of Nepal (A Hospital Based Study)

Abstract

A Sero-epidemiological Study on Typhoid Fever in Kailali district was conducted between June 2005andMay 2006. During the study period, 936 blood samples from the suspected patients visiting Seti Zonal Hospital from various localities of Kailali district were collected and examined for the presence of Salmonella antibody to rule-out infection of Typhoid fever.A total of 936serumsamplestestedby Widal test, the incidence of Typhoid fever was found to be 30.87%.The sex-wise incidence of Typhoid fever was found slightly more in males (31.02%)than in females (30.69%). The highest incidence of Typhoid fever was found in the age group 10-19 yrs (35.31%) while the least incidence of Typhoid fever was found in the age group 60-69 yrs (9.37%) and no case of Typhoid fever was recorded in the age group of 70 yrs and above. The incidence rate of Typhoid fever in Kailali district was found 0.46 perthous and per year. The sex wise incidence rate of Typhoid fever in Kailali district was found slightly more in male (0.51/1000 /year) than in female (0.42/1000 /year).The case fatality rate due to Typhoid fever in Kailali district wasnot found. Similarly, incidence of Typhoid fever was found to be the highest in the months of August (42.19%) and the leastin the month of January (9.37%). The questionnaire survey revealed that the predominant symptoms of Typhoid fever among 289 Typhoid patients were fever in 100% patients, intense headache in84.43%, abdomen pain in 34.95%, diarrhoea and loose stool in 40.83%, vomiting and nausea in 29.76% and cough in 28.37% patients. The questionnaire survey also revealed that most important risk factors for the transmission of Typhoid fever among community people are lack of awareness,unhygenic conditions of drinking water source, improper food consuming practice and environmental pollution etc.