Molecular epidemiology of non-viral sexually transmitted infections in the central Alpine province of Bolzano, northern Italy from April 2016 to March 2017

Abstract

Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Trichomonas vaginalis, Ureaplasma parvum, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Mycoplasma hominis and Mycoplasma genitalium are established or presumed as (??) STI pathogens. The present study aims  at ng describing the one-year molecular epidemiology of these seven pathogens in the Province of Bolzano, Northern Italy. From April 2016 to March 2017, a total of  2,949 patients, mainly females, were enrolled and 3,427 urine, vaginal, endocervical and/or urethral samples were subjected to simultaneous analysis of the seven pathogens by means of Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (AnyplexTM II STI-7 Detection Kit Seegene, Seoul, Korea). At least one of the seven microorganisms was detected in 40.7% of patients, with an uneven distribution: 43.1% in females (F) and 29.8% (p<0.001) in males (M). The prevalence of microorganisms was as follows: 30.3% U. parvum (F: 35.6%, M: 8.3%), 6.9% U. urealyticum (F: 6.8%, M: 7.0%), 4.9% M. hominis (F: 5.4%, M: 2.3%), 4.9% C. trachomatis (F: 3.4%, M: 11.4%), 1.1% M. genitalium (F: 1.0%, M: 1.2%), 1.2% N. gonorrhoeae (F: 0.17%, M: 5.6%) and 0.40% T. vaginalis (F: 0.38%, M: 0.53%). Mixed infections were detected in 7.4% of patients. The highest prevalence was observed for U. parvum, followed by U. urealyticum and M. hominis and a significant  presence of multi-pathogen infections was registered.