Recent trends in seroprevalence of syphilis in different patient groups attending a regional centre for sexually transmitted infections in central India

Radha D. Datkar; Gopal N. Agrawal; Sonali S. Gosavi; Kalindi S. Deogade; Manisha K. Sharma; Vandana A. Agarwal

doi:10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20231643

Authors

Radha D. Datkar Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
Gopal N. Agrawal Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
Sonali S. Gosavi Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
Kalindi S. Deogade Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
Manisha K. Sharma Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
Vandana A. Agarwal Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20231643

Keywords:

Seroprevalence, Syphilis, TPHA, VDRL

Abstract

Background: Easy access to Suraksha clinics for sexually transmitted infections calls for a review of seroprevalence of syphilis.

Methods: Serum samples from attendees of sexually transmitted infections (STI)/ reproductive tract infections (RTI) clinic/antenatal clinic, and samples of high-risk group (HRG: female sex workers and men having sex with men) brought by non-government organizations from 2017-22 were screened for syphilis by Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) and Treponema pallidum hemagglutination (TPHA) tests. Samples positive by both tests were considered seropositive for syphilis. Statistical methods used for analysis were chi square test for linear trends and Kruskal Wallis test.

Results: In STI clinic percentage positivity for syphilis has shown a statistically significant decline from 2017-22. In RTI clinic the decline was significant from 2017-19 but not significant in the years 2019-22. In antenatal clinic and in HRGs the change in seroprevalence was not significant from 2017-22 and 2017-20 respectively. However, the HRGs showed a significantly increasing trend in syphilis seropositivity from 2020-22.

Conclusions: There is a significantly declining trend in the seroprevalence of syphilis in patients attending the STI/RTI clinic from 2017-22 and in HRGs from 2017-20. However, a significant increase in trend in HRG from 2020-22 may have been due to behavioural changes during the lockdown for covid 19 pandemic. A significant decline in syphilis in patients attending the STI and RTI clinic and in HRGs attending the regional centre indicates the effectiveness of consistent detection, treatment and counselling efforts of the national control program on STI in the region.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Pinto MJ, Naik P. Trend of Seroprevalence of Syphilis in a Tertiary Care Centre. Ann Inter Med Dental Res. 2019;5(3):1-4.

Newman L, Rowley J, Vander Hoorn S, Wijesooriya NS, Unemo M, Low N, et al. Global estimates of the prevalence and incidence of four curable sexually transmitted infections in 2012 based on systematic review and global reporting. PloS one. 2015;10(12):0143304.

World Health Organization. Assessment of country implementation of the WHO global health sector strategy for sexually transmitted infections (2016–2021): Results of a national survey. Available at: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240025585. Accessed on 9th February 2023.

Sethi S, Mewara A, Hallur V, Prasad A, Sharma K, Raj A. Rising trends of syphilis in a tertiary care center in North India. Indian J of Sex Transm Dis and AIDS. 2015;36(2):140.

Khan S, Menezes GA, Dhodapkar R, Harish BN. Seroprevalence of syphilis in patients attending a tertiary care hospital in Southern India. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2014;4(12):995-7.

Nishal PK, Kapoor A, Jain VK, Dayal S, Aggarwal K. Changing trends in acquired syphilis at a Tertiary Care Center of North India. Indian J of Sex Transm Dis and AIDS. 2015;36(2):149.

Chopra S, Garg A, Chopra M, Ghosh A, Sreenivas V, Sood S, Kapil A, et al. Declining trends of Syphilis seroprevalance among antenatal clinic cases and STD clinic cases in a tertiary care centre: From January 2002 to December 2012. Indian J Med Microbiol. 2015;33:S126-8.

Kashyap B, Goyal N, Singha K, Tajuddin M, Singh NP. Cystoscopic biopsies of bladder neoplasms - a snippet in diagnosis. Yearly trend of syphilis seroprevalence. Ann Pathol Lab Medi. 2019;6(9):A558-66.

Nazir A, Masood W, Ahmad S, Nair AM, Aborode AT, Khan HD, et al. Rise of syphilis surge amidst COVID-19 pandemic in the USA: a neglected concern. Ann Med Surg. 2022;80:104239.

Stanford KA, Almiro E, Schneider J, Hazra A. Rising syphilis rates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sexul Transmit Dis. 2021;48(6);81-3.

Bouceiro-Mendes R, Borges-da-Costa J. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on sexually transmitted infections. Port J. Dermatol and Venereol. 2021;79(3):247-51

Kojima N, Klausner JD. An update on the global epidemiology of syphilis. Curr Epidemiol Repor. 2018;5(1):24-38.