EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY OF TYPHOID FEVER PREVALENCE AMONG SUSPECTED CASES IN RAWALPINDI AND ISLAMABAD: IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTION

Authors

  • S YASMEEN College of Nursing Nishtar Medical University Multan, Pakistan
  • T PARVEEN College of Nursing King Edward Medical College Lahore, Pakistan
  • K NAZAR Nishtar Institute of Dentistry Multan, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54112/bcsrj.v2024i1.728

Keywords:

Widal test, Infectious Disease, Prevalence, EpidemiologyTyphoid Fever,

Abstract

Typhoid fever remains a significant public health concern in Pakistan, particularly in urban areas such as Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Understanding the prevalence of this disease is crucial for informing public health interventions and resource allocation. This study aims to determine the prevalence of typhoid fever among patients suspected of the disease in District Rawalpindi and Islamabad. A cross-sectional study was conducted over three months, from November 2011 to January 2012. A random sample of 500 patients suspected of typhoid fever was collected from various regional hospitals and clinical laboratories. Samples were tested using the Widal test or Typhi dot, and data on patient demographics and test results were recorded. Descriptive statistics, including frequencies and percentages, were used to summarize the data. Prevalence rates were calculated, and subgroup analyses were conducted to explore variations in prevalence among different age groups. Of the 500 samples collected, 95 tested positive for typhoid fever, yielding an overall prevalence rate of 19%. Subgroup analysis revealed that 31.5% of positive cases were in adults, while 68.5% were in children under the age of 15 years. Among children, the prevalence rates varied across different age groups, with 13.8%, 55.3%, and 30.7% of positive cases reported in 1-4 years, 5-12 years, and 12-15 years, respectively. Further analysis estimated the total prevalence of typhoid fever in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, revealing a prevalence rate of 685 per 10,000 individuals among children. This study highlights the significant burden of typhoid fever in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, particularly among children. The findings underscore the importance of targeted interventions to control the spread of the disease, including vaccination campaigns and improved sanitation measures. Continued surveillance and monitoring are essential for tracking trends in typhoid prevalence and guiding regional public health strategies.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Abara, W., Wilson, S. M., and Burwell, K. (2012). Environmental justice and infectious disease: gaps, issues, and research needs. Environmental Justice 5, 8-20.

Antillón, M., Warren, J. L., Crawford, F. W., Weinberger, D. M., Kürüm, E., Pak, G. D., Marks, F., and Pitzer, V. E. (2017). The burden of typhoid fever in low-and middle-income countries: a meta-regression approach. PLoS neglected tropical diseases 11, e0005376.

Arvanitakis, C. (2010). Salmonella Infections. In "Detection of Bacteria, Viruses, Parasites and Fungi: Bioterrorism Prevention", pp. 125-138. Springer.

Bhutta, Z. A. (2006). Typhoid fever: current concepts. Infectious Diseases in Clinical Practice 14, 266-272.

Dickson, O. W. K. (2016). Characterization of Salmonella and other gram negative bacterial pathogens obtained from stool and blood at Cape Coast Teaching Hospital.

Farooqui, A., Khan, A., and Kazmi, S. U. (2009). Investigation of a community outbreak of typhoid fever associated with drinking water. BMC public health 9, 1-6.

Khasnis, A. A., and Nettleman, M. D. (2005). Global warming and infectious disease. Archives of medical research 36, 689-696.

O'hara, C. M. (2005). Manual and automated instrumentation for identification of Enterobacteriaceae and other aerobic gram-negative bacilli. Clinical microbiology reviews 18, 147-162.

Ozawa, S., Yemeke, T. T., Evans, D. R., Pallas, S. E., Wallace, A. S., and Lee, B. Y. (2019). Defining hard-to-reach populations for vaccination. Vaccine 37, 5525-5534.

Pakkanen, S. H., Kantele, J. M., Savolainen, L. E., Rombo, L., and Kantele, A. (2015). Specific and cross-reactive immune response to oral Salmonella Typhi Ty21a and parenteral Vi capsular polysaccharide typhoid vaccines administered concomitantly. Vaccine 33, 451-458.

Pal, M., Ayele, Y., Hadush, M., Panigrahi, S., and Jadhav, V. (2018). Public health hazards due to unsafe drinking water. Air Water Borne Dis 7, 2.

Parry, C. M. (2006). Epidemiological and clinical aspects of human typhoid fever. Salmonella infections: Clinical, immunological and molecular aspects, 1-18.

Sinha, A., Sazawal, S., Kumar, R., Sood, S., Reddaiah, V. P., Singh, B., Rao, M., Naficy, A., Clemens, J. D., and Bhan, M. K. (1999). Typhoid fever in children aged less than 5 years. The Lancet 354, 734-737.

Wahdan, M., Serie, C., Germanier, R., Lackany, A., Cerisier, Y., Guerin, N., Sallam, S., Geoffroy, P., El Tantawi, A. S., and Guesry, P. (1980). A controlled field trial of live oral typhoid vaccine Ty21a. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 58, 469.

Downloads

Published

2024-03-10

How to Cite

YASMEEN , S., PARVEEN , T., & NAZAR , K. (2024). EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY OF TYPHOID FEVER PREVALENCE AMONG SUSPECTED CASES IN RAWALPINDI AND ISLAMABAD: IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTION. Biological and Clinical Sciences Research Journal, 2024(1), 728. https://doi.org/10.54112/bcsrj.v2024i1.728