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Enzyme immunoassay for urogenital trichomoniasis as a marker of unsafe sexual behaviour

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 April 2001

P. R. MASON ,
S. GREGSON ,
L. GWANZURA ,
P. CAPPUCCINELLI ,
P. RAPELLI  and
P. L. FIORI
P. R. MASON
Affiliation:
Biomedical Research and Training Institute, Harare, Zimbabwe Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, University of Zimbabwe Medical School, Harare, Zimbabwe
S. GREGSON
Affiliation:
Biomedical Research and Training Institute, Harare, Zimbabwe
L. GWANZURA
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, University of Zimbabwe Medical School, Harare, Zimbabwe
P. CAPPUCCINELLI
Affiliation:
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Experimental and Clinical Microbiology, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
P. RAPELLI
Affiliation:
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Experimental and Clinical Microbiology, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
P. L. FIORI
Affiliation:
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Experimental and Clinical Microbiology, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
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Abstract

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Enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was used to detect antibodies to Trichomonas vaginalis in sera from Zimbabwe. The EIA showed a sensitivity of 95 and 94% when compared with vaginal swab culture among women attending a family planning clinic (FPC) and female commercial sex workers (CSW) respectively. The specificity was 85 and 77% in the two groups. Culture-negative FPC women were sub-divided into high risk or low risk of exposure to trichomoniasis. The seroprevalence was 10% (6/61) among low risk women, 21% (10/48) among high risk women and 23% (9/39) among culture negative CSW. The EIA was positive in 46% (18/39) men with genital discharge but only 5% (2/37) healthy blood donors. None of 31 sera from prepubescent children was positive. The EIA may be useful for community surveys of trichomoniasis. Because T. vaginalis is a common sexually transmitted disease, the test may indicate behaviour that increases the risk of STD transmission.

Type
Research Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 126 , Issue 1 , February 2001 , pp. 103 - 109
Copyright
© 2001 Cambridge University Press