SEROPREVALENCE OF ANTI-CHLAMYDIA TRACHOMATIS IgG ANTIBODY IN EKPAN COMMUNITY OF DELTA STATE, NIGERIA

Ifeanyichukwu Martin Ositadinma*, Dele-Ochie Patricia Ejenawome, Ngwu Amauche Martina, Inege Lucky Chukwudi, Ebunu Ezekiel

ABSTRACT

Chlamydia trachomatis, an obligate intracellular human pathogen, largely known to be asymptomatic, is the most common bacterial cause of sexual transmitted infection in men and women. The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis associated infertility in men and women that came for treatment at Government Hospital Ekpan, Delta State. Two hundred and fifty subjects (250) comprising 200 (80%) patients that came for infertility treatment and 50 (20%) control subjects that made up of hospital staffs were screened. Venous blood were collected from all of them and screened for Chlamydia trachomatis by Enzyme Immunosorbent Assay (EIA) method. Semen were collected from men and processed for microscopy, count and morphology by standard methods. The overall prevalent rate of Chlamydia trachomatis in this study was 67.5%. The result of this study showed that Chlamydia trachomatis antigen was higher in female (70.8%) when compared to the male (64.4%). There is strong evidence that Chlamydia trachomatis infection may be one of the causative agents for male and female infertility in Ekpan community.

Keywords: Chlamydia trachomatis, Infertility, Antigen, Infection