[Genetic factors in typhoid fever]

Area of Science:

• Immunogenetics
• Epidemiology
• Infectious Disease Research

Context:

• Typhoid fever remains a significant global health challenge.
• Previous genetic studies on typhoid fever susceptibility have yielded limited success.
• Lack of clear clinical phenotypes hinders genetic research and targeted interventions.

Purpose:

• To identify a basis for recognizing distinct clinical phenotypes in typhoid fever.
• To explore potential genetic associations for improved disease management.
• To review literature from 1960-1988 for relevant immunogenetic and clinical data.

Summary:

• This review proposes five phenotypes for typhoid fever: incubation period, relapse, agglutinin response (Widal's test), vaccination response, and metabolic behavior.
• These phenotypes, derived from animal and human studies, offer a framework for classifying typhoid fever cases.
• Potential associations between these phenotypes and polymorphic genetic systems are suggested for population subset identification.

Impact:

• Facilitates the identification of distinct typhoid fever patient subsets.
• Provides a foundation for future genetic research into typhoid fever.
• Aims to improve the future management and control strategies for typhoid fever.