DEVELOPMENT OF A NOVEL TYPHOID DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUE USING VIANTIGEN FROM Salmonella Typhi

Abstract

newline SYNOPSIS newlineThere are numerous disease causing micro-organisms which are matter of worldwide newlineconcern despite of their geographically localized distribution. One of such micro-organism newlineis Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi) which lead to severe typhoid fever. newlineTyphoid had been a universal problem for humanity from decades. The S. Typhi infection newlineis quite common, causing the sporadic as well as epidemic outbreaks at regular intervals. newlineS. Typhi infection is mainly caused by contaminated food and water. Salmonella infections newlineare less problematic in developed nations however these are still a serious challenge in newlinedeveloping countries like India, Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh. In these countries the newlineregional outbreaks of typhoid are not infrequent. newlineThe vaccines are available for S. Typhi but still they are not used frequently therefore newlineincidents of infections are recurrent. However the better life styles leading to hygiene and newlinebetter sanitary measures had reduced the infection rate and transmission pace of the newlinedisease. newlineFor control at the source, early as well as accurate diagnosis of typhoid infection is very newlinecrucial to start right antimicrobial therapy and treatment for the patients. There is a need of newlinediagnostic assays which are not only having easy protocols but can be performed at all the newlinelaboratories including small laboratories with minimal equipment facilities. Also the tests newlineshould be easily interpretable as well as give results in short durations. newlineIn clinical aspects for typhoid diagnosis currently traditional serological assays are being newlinefollowed. Widal test is most commonly used for the specific antibody analysis in the newlinetyphoid patients. However other tests like conventional culture method, ELISA, newlinehemagglutination test, dipstick assay and dotblot ELISA are also gaining importance in the newlinediagnostic field. newlineThis study was carried to find whether Vi antigen of S. Typhi can be an antigen of choice newlineto be used in dotblot ELISA or not. This antigen had been selected as it