Antibodies and the Aberdeen typhoid outbreak of 1964: II. Coombs', complement fixation and fimbrial agglutination tests

Abstract

SUMMARYIn a previous paper (Brodie, 1977) the value of the Widal test in the diagnosis of typhoid fever was shown to be limited. Evaluation of possible alternative tests showed that:(1) the sensitivity of the anti-human globulin (Coombs') test appeared greater than that of the agglutination test but the length of time (48 h) before results were available rendered it of little value in rapid diagnosis;(2) the complement fixation test offered no particular help towards diagnosis;(3) immunized and non-immunized typhoid fever patients developed fimbrial antibodies, as also did immunized healthy individuals. In this latter group, however, those immunized with alcoholized TAB vaccine had higher antibody titres to fimbrial antigen than those immunized with heat-killed phenolized vaccine.