This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Widal's test

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The Widal test is used to demonstrate rising titres of antibodies to flagellar (H), somatic (O) antigens in typhoid and paratyphoid fever.

An increasing O antibody level signifies acute infection, whilst a raised H antibody level may indicate the serotype of the infecting organism.

Widal's test is of limited use because H and O antibody levels may rise non-specifically due to cross reactions with other enterobacteriacea.

The interpretation of the serology thus requires consideration of factors such as previous immunization, the stage of the illness and the effect of any antibiotic treatment, etc. Widal's test and particularly its interpretation requires an expert.

Notes:

  • there are limitations in the sensitivity of the Widal - in one study Widal test results were negative in about one-third of blood culture–confirmed cases that were tested (1)

Reference:

  1. J Travel Med. 2005 Sep-Oct;12(5):270-4.

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.