Frequency of Enteric Fever In Children Presenting With Acute Febrile Illness In Islamabad

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency of enteric fever in children presenting with acute febrile illness in Islamabad, Pakistan. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study, conducted in the department of Paediatrics, Islamabad Medical Complex, Islamabad, from 1st of October 2024 to 30th of April 2025. After obtaining ethical approval, this study included 179 children with acute febrile illness. After a thorough clinical evaluation, venous samples from all patients were sent for diagnosis of enteric fever via blood culture. Data were analysed using SPSS version 22. The data were stratified according to the effect modifiers. Statistical significance was set at p ≤0.05. Results: The ages ranged from 1-12 years (median = 7, IQR = 4–10), and weights ranged from 8–48 kg (median = 27, IQR = 16–39). The duration of fever varied between 5 and 14 days (median = 10, IQR = 8–12), and the recorded temperature ranged from 38.6°C to 40.0°C (median = 39.2°C, IQR = 38.8–39.5°C). Of the 179 patients, 21 (11.7%; 95% CI: 7.4–17.4%) had enteric fever confirmed by blood culture. The data were stratified according to the effect modifiers (Table I). There was no difference between subgroups of age, sex, area of residence, maternal educational status, weight, and fever duration (p = 0.903, 0.967, 0.418, 0.383, 0.359, and 0.321, respectively). Enteric fever was significantly higher in the low socioeconomic status group (p = 0.015). Conclusion: Our study suggests that enteric fever is a high-burden disease in the paediatric population in Islamabad, responsible for 11.7% (95% CI: 7.4–17.4%) of acute febrile illnesses, with a significantly high impact on those from low socioeconomic status. Studies incorporating multiple centres and areas would provide more comprehensive data. Keywords: Typhoid Fever; Paratyphoid Fever; Fever; Cross-Sectional Studies; Socioeconomic Factors.