UNVEILING THE BURDEN OF PARATYPHOID FEVER: A SEROPREVALENCE STUDY FROM NORTH INDIA

Introduction: Paratyphoid fever is an enteric infection caused primarily by Salmonella enterica serovars Paratyphi A, Paratyphi B and Paratyphi C. It accounts roughly for 20-30% of total enteric fever cases globally, and this proportion is rising, particularly where typhoid vaccination efforts are underway. The current study was planned to determine the seroprevalence of paratyphoid fever and the epidemiological details of the affected cases in our region. Material and Methods: The study was conducted for a period of eighteen months from January 2023 to July 2024 on serum samples from patients suspected of enteric fever were tested with Widal test. The results were interpreted based on regional baseline antibody titers and analyzed. Results: Out of 3310 samples, 1102 tested positive by Widal test. Forty five cases showed agglutinins for Paratyphi A or Paratyphi B or both. Twenty six were female (57.8%) and highest burden of infection was observed in age group less than 15 years (46.7%) followed by 16-45 years (42.2%) with a mean age of 18.9 years. Conclusion: Epidemiology of paratyphoid fever is still emerging and unclear. There is a need to conduct nationwide studies on paratyphoid fever that will help in making preventive guidelines for control of this disease.