Prevalence of Typhoid Fever and Limitations of Blood Culture in Guiding Empirical Antibiotic Therapy in an Endemic Setting.

Abstract

Background: Typhoid fever remains a major public health concern in India. Although blood culture is the gold standard for diagnosis, its diagnostic utility is often limited in routine clinical settings due to prior antibiotic use, low bacterial load, and delayed presentation. Consequently, empirical antibiotic  therapy is frequently initiated based on serological tests.