Seroprevalence of HBsAg and Anti‑HCV among Women Who Delivered at Istiqlal Hospital, Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1404

Abstract

Background: Typhoid fever remains a significant public health problem in settings with limited access to safe water and adequate sanitation. Children are disproportionately affected and constitute a high‑risk group for morbidity and complications.

Objective: To describe the demographic, seasonal, and clinical characteristics, disease severity, laboratory profile, and complications of typhoid fever among pediatric inpatients at Shah Amanullah Ghazi Hospital.

Methods: This descriptive case series included all patients younger than 14 years admitted with a diagnosis of typhoid fever during the year 1404. Census sampling was employed to enroll all eligible cases. Data were abstracted from medical records and encompassed demographic variables, signs and symptoms, laboratory investigations, severity grading, and documented complications. Diagnoses were based on clinical assessment and available microbiological and molecular tests, including blood, stool, and urine cultures and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) were used for analysis.

Results: Among 68 patients, 13 (19.1%) were aged 2–5 years, 38 (55.9%) were aged 5–10 years, and 17 (25.0%) were aged 10–14 years; the 5–10‑year age group accounted for the largest proportion. Seasonally, cases peaked in summer (28 cases, 41.2%), followed by spring (24 cases, 35.3%), with the fewest in winter (3 cases, 4.4%). Disease severity was mild in 26 patients (38.2%), moderate in 32 (47.1%), and severe in 10 (14.7%). Complications included pneumonia in 4 patients (5.9%), diarrhea in 7 (10.3%), hepatitis in 6 (8.8%), and relapse in 4 (5.9%); 47 patients (69.1%) had no recorded complications. Of 40 patients tested by PCR, 30 (75.0%) were positive and 10 (25.0%) negative. Among 15 patients who underwent blood culture, 10 were positive and 5 negative.

Conclusion: In this hospital‑based series, typhoid fever predominantly affected children aged 5–10 years and occurred most frequently during summer, with moderate severity being the commonest category. A subset of patients developed complications such as diarrhea, hepatitis, pneumonia, and relapse. These findings delineate key epidemiologic and clinical features of pediatric typhoid at this center and may inform targeted diagnostic algorithms and management protocols.