A THREE-YEAR HOSPITAL-BASED RETROSPECTIVE STUDY ON THE PREVALENCE OF TYPHOID FEVER AMONG PATIENTS ATTENDING SPECIALIST HOSPITAL, KABBA, KOGI STATE

Abstract

In tropical nations, particularly Nigeria, typhoid fever continues to be a public health concern. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the prevalence of typhoid fever during three years in a medical facility situated in Kogi State, Nigeria's North Central zone. Using laboratory records for all patient, a facility-based retrospective analysis was conducted at the Specialist Hospital Kabba in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area between January 2021 and December 2023. Chi-square tests and descriptive statistics were employed to determine the distribution of the infection by age and season. In total, 5409 typhoid fever suspects were diagnosed using Widal test over 3 years, of which 98.8% (5343/5409) were seropositive. There were 98.9% of cases of typhoid fever during 
the period of the study. Typhoid fever prevalence was higher among patients aged <10 year (99.0%), followed by those aged 21-30 group (99.0%), while the prevalence was observed among patients aged 11-20 (98.5%). Annual trends in typhoid fever prevalence varied significantly with chi-square value of 20.794 from 2021 to 2023, from 99.7% in 2021 to 98.0% in 2022 to 99.0% in 
2023. This study revealed the presence of high prevalence of typhoid fever in the Kabba area. In addition to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene initiatives, our results emphasize the necessity of increased surveillance as part of a more affordable and integrated approach to typhoid prevention and control.