Journal Article

High prevalence of sexual Chlamydia trachomatis infection in young women from Marajó Island, in the Brazilian Amazon

Tsutsumi, Mihoko Yamamoto, Vieira, Maria Renata Mendonça dos Santos, Oliveira, Jéssica Fernanda Galdino, dos Santos, Leonardo Miranda, Trindade, Josinaide Quaresma, Ishikawa, Edna Aoba Yassui, Fuzii, Hellen Thais, Sousa Junior, Edivaldo Costa, Ishak, Ricardo, Ferrari, Stephen Francis, de Sousa, Maísa Silva, Brasiliense, Danielle Murici

2018

Overview

Chlamydia trachomatis is the most prevalent bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the world. Approximately 80% of infected women are asymptomatic, although this infection can lead to serious complications in the female reproductive tract. Few data on Chlamydia infection are available in rural Amazonian communities. To evaluate the prevalence of sexual C. trachomatis infection in women from Marajó Archipelago communities in the Amazon region of Brazil and to identify associated factors and genotypes. We utilized amplification of the ompA gene by nested PCR. Positive samples were genotyped by sequencing. Study participants completed a questionnaire on social, epidemiological, and reproductive health variables. A Poisson regression was used to evaluate the degree of association of these variables with the infection. The sexual infection by C. trachomatis was observed in 4% (16/393) of the subjects, and was more often found in women aged ≤25 (14.3%; 95% CI = 2.83-35.47; p <0.001), and in women with a household income of less than one Brazilian monthly minimum wage (5.2%; 95% CI = 1.33-11.37; p = 0.014). The ompA gene was sequenced in 13 samples, revealing F genotypes (38.4%, n = 5), D (23%, n = 3), E (15.3%, n = 2), Ia (7.6%, N = 1), J (7.6%, n = 1) and B (7.6%, n = 1). We recorded a high prevalence of sexual infection by C. trachomatis in young and poor women from the interior of the Brazilian Amazon. This high prevalence and the frequencies of the main genotypes were similar to those found in major Brazilian urban centers. Our results reinforce the importance of the screening of this neglected infection, and the prevention of later sequelae in young women from rural and urban areas of Brazil.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome / Adolescent / Adult / Aged / AIDS / Archipelagoes / Bacteria / Biology and Life Sciences / Brazil - epidemiology / Chlamydia / Chlamydia Infections - epidemiology / Chlamydia trachomatis / Chlamydia trachomatis - genetics / Chlamydia trachomatis - physiology / Complications / Computer and Information Sciences / Condoms / Disease prevention / Earth Sciences / Ecology and Environmental Sciences / Epidemiology / Female / Gene sequencing / Genotypes / Health care / Health services / Humans / Infections / Infectious diseases / Infertility / Inflammatory diseases / Islands - epidemiology / Medicine and Health Sciences / Middle Aged / OmpA protein / People and places / Poisson density functions / Prevalence / Public health / Reproductive Health / Reproductive system / Research and Analysis Methods / Risk Factors / Rural areas / Sexual Behavior / Sexually transmitted diseases / Statistical analysis / STD / Task forces / Urban areas / Urban environments / Womens health / Young Adult / Young adults