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Suggest Medical Tests To Rule Out Latent TB
Question: Hi,
Last month i started having a low grade fever (99-99.5) and i went through few tests. The widal test was positive and there was slight urine infection too. I took Homeopathic medicines for it and went again through tests in next 15 days.
Both widal test and urine tests was negative but ESR was marginally above. But the fever was still present.
I continued taking my medicines and at last i went to alopathic . Doctor repeated all the tests once agn which were CBC, URINE ROUTINE AND CULTURE and widal once ag. This time all the tests were normal but fever was still continuous. He prescribed me 10 days antibiotics and told me to go fr chest xray and tb test.
Is it possible that typhoid cn still persist even after negative widal?
What are the possible test for detection of latent tb?
Last month i started having a low grade fever (99-99.5) and i went through few tests. The widal test was positive and there was slight urine infection too. I took Homeopathic medicines for it and went again through tests in next 15 days.
Both widal test and urine tests was negative but ESR was marginally above. But the fever was still present.
I continued taking my medicines and at last i went to alopathic . Doctor repeated all the tests once agn which were CBC, URINE ROUTINE AND CULTURE and widal once ag. This time all the tests were normal but fever was still continuous. He prescribed me 10 days antibiotics and told me to go fr chest xray and tb test.
Is it possible that typhoid cn still persist even after negative widal?
What are the possible test for detection of latent tb?
Brief Answer:
Widal test and latent TB
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for your query. I can understand your concerns.
Widal test is unreliable and may be false positive. False positive serological tests are obtained from persons with previous infection, infection with cross-reacting organisms.If a positive widal test is due to typhoid fever it will remain positive
(specific IgG )for months together.In your case it was false positive.
Patients can be screened for latent tuberculosis by QuantiFERON IFN-γ release assay [ QuantiFERON-TB Gold (QFT®) ].
Regards
Dr. T.K. Biswas M.D. XXXXXXX
Widal test and latent TB
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for your query. I can understand your concerns.
Widal test is unreliable and may be false positive. False positive serological tests are obtained from persons with previous infection, infection with cross-reacting organisms.If a positive widal test is due to typhoid fever it will remain positive
(specific IgG )for months together.In your case it was false positive.
Patients can be screened for latent tuberculosis by QuantiFERON IFN-γ release assay [ QuantiFERON-TB Gold (QFT®) ].
Regards
Dr. T.K. Biswas M.D. XXXXXXX
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
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