Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by MEHEUS, A
Right arrow Articles by PIOT, P
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by MEHEUS, A
Right arrow Articles by PIOT, P
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1980 Oxford University Press

research-article

Epidemiology and Aetiology of Urethritis in Swaziland

A MEHEUS*, R BALLARD{dagger}, M DLAMINI{ddagger}, J P URSI**, E VAN DYCK*** and P PIOT***

*Dept. of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Antwerp (UIA), Universiteitsplein 2, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
{dagger}Dept. of Ophtalmology, University of Witwatersrand Johannesburg, South-Africa.
{ddagger}Ministry of Health P.O. Box 5, Mbabane, Swaziland.
**Dept. of Bacteriology, University of Antwerp (UIA) Wilrijk, Belgium.
***Dept. of Bacteriology, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Belgium.

Meheus A [Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Antwerp (UIA), Universiteitsplein 2, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium], Ballard R, Dlamini M, Ursi JP, Van Dyck E and Piot P. Epidemiology and aetiology of urethritis in Swaziland. International Journal of Epidemiology 1980, 9: 239–245.

The annual incidence of urethritis can be estimated to be at least 3 750 per 100 000 population in Swaziland. In a study of 109 males with symptomatic urethritis 80% had gonorrhoea, 6% non-gonococcal urethritis (ngu) and 14% were classified as having no ‘objective’ urethritis (less than 5 polymorphonuclear leucocytes per high-power field in the urethral smear). The relative frequency of gonorrhoea was 80 to 95% and of non-gonococcal urethritis 5 to 20% according to which criteria are used for patient selection and/or diagnosis of ngu. Chlamydia trachomatis was cultured in 3.4% of the cases with urethritis, comprising one positive culture in 70 patients with gonorrhoea, one in 5 with ngu, and one in 12 with no ‘objective’ urethritis.

Seventy-one percent of patients, with a comparable percentage in each diagnostic group, had chlamydial antibodies when tested by the micro immunofluorescence test to pooled chlamydial antigens. Interpretation of the chlamydial serologic results indicates that lymphogranuloma venereum is probably endemic in the country, and that oculogenital chlamydial infections are not a problem; this corresponds with the low isolation rate of Chlamydia trachomatis in the urethritis cases.

The study shows that the epidemiology and causes of urethritis are clearly of a different pattern to that seen in industrialised countries. This type of study is a sound basis for a simplified but effective urethritis control programme which can be implemented in the para-urban and rural health centres in developing countries.

Received 28 April 1980


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 BMJHome page
H Grosskurth, P Mayaud, F Mosha, J Todd, K Senkoro, J Newell, R Gabone, J Changalucha, B West, R Hayes, et al.
Asymptomatic gonorrhoea and chlamydial infection in rural Tanzanian men
BMJ, February 3, 1996; 312(7026): 277 - 280.
[Abstract] [Full Text]


Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.