Typhoid is the most loosely used diagnosis in India both by patients as well as doctors. Widal test is not very highly sensitive test for it as in India even asymptomatic individuals have high titres of antibodies against typhoid bacteria because of high rates of sub clinical infections. Also single reading of titres is never diagnostic of typhoid...we have to repeat sample after 2 to 4 weeks to see 4 times rising titres. Blood culture is the gold standard for diagnosis of typhoid fever...typhoid IgM antibody is also sensitive.