Validation of a New Duplex Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction for DNA Detection in Ocular Swab Samples.

Trachoma is the world-leading infectious cause of preventable blindness and is caused by the bacteria . In developing countries, diagnosis is usually based on clinical evaluation. Serological-based tests are cheaper than molecular-based ones, but the latter are more sensitive and specific.

Heterogeneity in practitioner-reported barriers to use, cost considerations and priorities for point of care sexually transmitted infection tests on surveys across seven years.

Background: Point of care diagnostic tests (POCTs) for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have the potential to improve STI care worldwide. However, barriers to adoption, cost considerations and practitioner priorities may not be uniform globally and over time. We conducted two surveys, 7 years apart, among members of the International Union Against Sexually Transmitted Infections (IUSTI), and compare results here.

Rapid tests for sexually transmitted diseases.

Many molecular diagnostic tests for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have been described recently but are not often accessible to clinicians in practice. There is a need for rapid, easy-to-perform, and accurate diagnostic tests for clinicians, especially for use in developing countries, where sophisticated laboratory support is often unavailable. Rapid tests, often termed "point-of-care" (POC) tests, can be performed in less than an hour in the doctor's office, clinic, or in a field setting.

Prevalence of Neisseria Gonorrhoeae among men screened for Chlamydia Trachomatis in four United States cities, 1999-2003.

Objectives: Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections are the second most commonly reported disease in the United States and cause significant morbidity. We describe the prevalence of gonorrhea in a large sample of men tested for gonorrhea and Chlamydia trachomatis in Baltimore, Denver, San Francisco, and Seattle.

Methods: Gonorrhea prevalence was measured among 17,712 men tested in a variety of non-sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic venues using urine-based nucleic acid amplification tests.

Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection among men screened in 4 U.S. cities.

Objective: The objective of this study was to measure the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection among men in clinical and nonclinical settings across the United States.

Goal: The goal of this study was to obtain data to inform recommendations regarding male CT screening.

Study: The authors conducted a cross-sectional study of CT prevalence among adolescent and adult men in 4 U.