TUBEX Test Versus Widal Test In The Diagnosis Of Typhoid Fever In Kafr El -Shekh, Egypt

Background: The value of the Widal test for the diagnosis of typhoid fever has been debated for as many years as it has been available. TUBEX test is a serological test which was stated to have the advantages of the Widal test without its controversies. The aim of this study was to evaluate TUBEX test versus the Widal test regarding sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of typhoid fever in an endemic area like Kafr El –Shekh, Egypt. Materials and Methods: Serum samples were collected from typhoid (n=91) and febrile non-typhoid patients (n=25) and used to evaluate the performance of both Widal and TUBEX tests in diagnosis of typhoid fever using IgM anti-LPS ELISA as a reference test. Results: TUBEX test had sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 74.6%, 75%, 74.7%, 89.2% and 58% respectively. Widal test had higher results. Conclusion and recommendation: TUBEX test results are not superior to Widal test. TUBEX has a very serious shortcoming regarding its color scoring system. We do not recommend the use of TUBEX test for diagnosis of typhoid fever in Egypt as Widal test which is the test commonly used in diagnosis gave better performance.