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


Submitted: 27 September 2018
Accepted: 10 October 2018
Published: 19 December 2018
Abstract Views: 1067
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Authors

  • Richard Aschbacher Laboratory of Microbiology and Virology, Bolzano Central Hospital, Italy.
  • Francesca Romagnoli Laboratory of Microbiology and Virology, Bolzano Central Hospital, Italy.
  • Elisa Masi Laboratory of Microbiology and Virology, Bolzano Central Hospital, Italy.
  • Valentina Pasquetto Laboratory of Microbiology and Virology, Bolzano Central Hospital, Italy.
  • Franco Perino Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Academic Teaching Department of Medical University Innsbruck, Bolzano Central Hospital, Italy.
  • Klaus Eisendle Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Academic Teaching Department of Medical University Innsbruck, Bolzano Central Hospital; College of Health Care Professions Claudiana, Bolzano, Italy.
  • Monica Braghetto Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Bolzano Central Hospital, Italy.
  • Sergio Messini Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Bolzano Central Hospital, Italy.
  • Serena Delbue Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Italy.
  • Elisabetta Pagani Laboratory of Microbiology and Virology, Bolzano Central Hospital, Italy.

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.


Aschbacher, R., Romagnoli, F., Masi, E., Pasquetto, V., Perino, F., Eisendle, K., Braghetto, M., Messini, S., Delbue, S., & Pagani, E. (2018). Molecular epidemiology of non-viral sexually transmitted infections in the central Alpine province of Bolzano, northern Italy from April 2016 to March 2017. Microbiologia Medica, 33(1). https://doi.org/10.4081/mm.2018.7852

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