The frequency of enteric fever among children in al-Nasseriah city Iraq and their relation to the zinc and copper levels

الملخص EN

Summary Enteric fever is characterized by severe systemic illness.

The leading cause of the syndrome of enteric fever is Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi (in the past S.

Typhi).

Other Salmonella serovars, chiefly S.

enterica serotype paratyphi A, B, or C, can be a source of comparable syndrome.

The aim of this study is detects the occurrence of enteric fever among children in Thi-Qar province and detect the zinc and cooper levels in their serum and their relative to infection.

The total of (327) blood specimens collected from children suspected anguish from enteric fever and (35) children as control group, the identification of the disease was depending on clinical signs and using immune chromatography kits.

While, the trace elements levels was detected by commercial kits.

The results shown that the illness was detected in 50 (15.29%)of children, the number of infected males was 28 (56.0%).

While female 22 (44%) from infected children with no significant differences under (P<0.05).

The zinc level of infected child was ( 136.2 ± 46.99 std.) µg/dl in compared with control group ( 120.04±21.20) µg/dl .The copper levels was (117.88±19.12) µg/dl and in control group was ( 111.85±27.09) µg/dl and the results were not significant under ( P<0.05 ) between infected and control groups.

In brief, the rate of enteric fever was high among children under this study and there is no significant differences among children gender and trace elements levels with infection under study.