Things You Should Know About Typhoid Test Results in Nigeria

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Typhoid fever is common in Nigeria, especially in crowded urban areas where there's poor sanitation.

It mainly spreads through drinking or eating contaminated food and water.

The best way to prevent typhoid fever is by making sure people have access to clean water, good sanitation, and practice proper hygiene.

Here are 3 things you should know about typhoid test results in Nigeria:

1. Types of Typhoid Tests in Nigeria

• Widal Test: This is the most common test to check for typhoid in Nigeria and is commonly called the 'typhoid test.' It detects proteins (antibodies, specifically O and H antibodies) produced by the body against Salmonella typhi, the bacteria that cause typhoid.

  Though commonly used, it is an unreliable test, and its accuracy can be affected by previous infections or vaccinations.

• Culture Test: Blood culture is the most reliable test for diagnosing typhoid, although it is not commonly used in Nigeria.

  A sample of blood is cultured to check for the presence of Salmonella typhi, the bacteria that cause typhoid.

  Other types of culture tests that can be done to detect typhoid include stool culture, bone marrow culture, and urine culture.

2. Typhoid Test Result Interpretation

• Widal test:

  Negative Result: A negative result means that no significant amount of antibodies (O and H antibodies) against Salmonella typhi are detected in the blood sample. This suggests the person is not infected with typhoid

  Positive Result: A positive result indicates the presence of antibodies against Salmonella typhi.

  The Widal test is prone to false positives and is not as reliable as the blood culture.

• Culture test:

  Positive Result: A positive blood culture result indicates the presence of Salmonella typhi bacteria in the blood, confirming the diagnosis of typhoid.

  Negative Result: A negative result means that Salmonella typhi bacteria were not found in the blood sample.

3. How Much Is Typhoid Test in Nigeria?

The price of a Widal test can range from ₦2,500 to ₦5,000.

The price of a blood culture test can range from ₦7000 to ₦16,000.

It can depend on factors such as the type of laboratory facility, location, and method used.

Public healthcare institutions tend to offer lower prices, while private laboratories charge more.

Major cities like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt typically have higher testing costs than smaller towns or rural areas due to differences in living costs and healthcare infrastructure.

Blood cultures cost more than Widal tests.