Abstract
Bacterial and protozoal sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as Chlamydia trachomatis, Trichomonas vaginalis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, may cause acute symptoms, chronic infections and severe long-term complications. The complications of these infections in women include pelvic inflammatory disease, chronic pelvic pain, tubal infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility. Moreover, infection during pregnancy is associated with premature rupture of the membranes, low birth weight and miscarriage.
In Italy, Chlamydia trachomatis and Trichomonas vaginalis infections are not subject to mandatory reporting; while gonorrhoea is subject to mandatory reporting.
To extend surveillance to STIs that are widespread yet often asymptomatic and to improve the knowledge on the epidemiology of these infections in Italy, in 2009 the “Centro Operativo AIDS of the Istituto Superiore di SanitÁ”, in collaboration with the Association of Italian Clinical Microbiologists (AMCLI, Associazione Microbiologi Clinici Italiani), launched the sentinel STIs surveillance system based on a network of 13 clinical microbiology laboratories.
The main objective of the surveillance was to assess the prevalence and risk factors associated with Chlamydia trachomatis, Trichomonas vaginalis and Neisseria gonorrhoea infections among individuals attending microbiology laboratories in Italy.
Italian STI Laboratory-based Surveillance Working Group: Maria Agnese Latino, Alessandra Sacchi (Turin, Italy); Laura Dapiran, Giliola Crotti (Ivrea, Italy; Turin, Italy); Pierangelo Clerici, Monica Barzani (Legnano, Italy; Milan, Italy); Iole Caola, Rosanna Predazzer (Trento, Italy); Maria Luisa Modolo, Rita De Rosa (Pordenone, Italy); Manola Comar, Francesco De Seta (Trieste, Italy); Alessandra Sensini, Stefano Perito (Perugia, Italy); Paola Pauri, Sara Secondini (Jesi, Italy; Ancona, Italy); Maria Carmela Cava, Maria Vittoria De Sandro (Rome, Italy); Cristina Giraldi, Daniela Perugini (Cosenza, Italy); Rosa Anna Leone, Pasquale Minchella (Lamezia Terme, Italy; Catanzaro, Italy); Luigi Tagliaferro, Paola Menegazzi (Lecce, Italy); Anna Rita Bruno (Galatina, Italy; Lecce, Italy)
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The authors wish to thank Lindstedt Finn Ragnar for his assistance in revising the manuscript.
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Salfa, M.C., Suligoi, B., Italian STI Laboratory-based Surveillance Working Group. (2015). Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis, Trichomonas vaginalis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae Based on Data Collected by a Network of Clinical Microbiology Laboratories, in Italy. In: Donelli, G. (eds) Advances in Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Public Health. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology(), vol 901. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/5584_2015_5015
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/5584_2015_5015
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