Molecular Epidemiology of Genital Chlamydia Trachomatis Infection in Asymptomatic Adolescent-Young People

Infections by Chlamydia trachomatis are usually asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic and for this reason, diagnosis is often delayed. The aim of this study was to investigate the genotype of genital Chlamydia trachomatis infections among asymptomatic adolescent and young people. Detection and genotyping of Chlamydia trachomatis were performed with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis directly on crude cells of first-void urine. Crude samples (n=427; 222 men/205 women) from young people with different social and economic conditions were screened for C. trachomatis. The prevalence of chlamydial infection was 13.7% among women and 4.1% among men. Socioeconomically disadvantaged women had a significantly higher prevalence compared with the rest of the women 27.4% vs. 6.1% (p=0.0006). Genotype E was the most frequently found (N=27 73%) among both genders. Screening programs focussed on sexually active adolescents and young people attending health clinics are important for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis infections.