Prevalence of Clamydia trachomatis colonization amongst asymptomatic pregnant women in Eket and its environs, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Abstract

Chlamydia trachomatis is one of the most common causes of STDs. It is also known to be an asymptomatic coloniser in women. During pregnancy and delivery, vertical transmission of these bacteria can result in conjunctivitis and pneumonia in neonates. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis amongst asymptomatic pregnant women in Eket and the surrounding towns. An ELISA assay was employed to detect Chlamydia trachomatis IgM-specific antibodies in the serum of study participants. Informed consent was obtained from study participants between 35-38 weeks of gestation. Five milliliters of venous blood were collected from each participant into a plain specimen bottle, centrifuged, and serum extracted for the analysis. Participants were drawn from different locations in and around Eket Akwa Ibom state which included; Immanuel General Hospital Eket, Cottage Hospital Akai, Cottage Hospital Ibeno, Cottage Hospital Ekpene Obo, Primary Health Center Uquo and Traditional Birth Attendance Esit Eket. A total of 110 participants were recruited for the study. The prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis colonization amongst asymptomatic pregnant women was 34 %. The highest positive was among participants recruited from Immanuel General Hospital Eket with 37 % of the total positive. In comparison, participants from traditional birth attendant clinics had the lowest prevalence with 10 % positive. Participants in the age group range 18-22 had the highest positivity. The association between Chlamydia trachomatis infection, age, marital status, location, parity, and gestational age was measured and the p-value obtained was as follows; age p = 0.49, marital status p = 0.97, location p = 0.12, parity p = 0.98, gestational age p = 0.59 There was no statistically significant association between Chlamydia trachomatis prevalence and age, location, parity and marital status as all p-value obtained was greater than 0.05 (p > 0.05). The high prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis asymptomatic colonization amongst pregnant women obtained in this study suggests that a lot of neonates may be at risk of vertical transmission. Routine screening for Chlamydia trachomatis during pregnancy is recommended to reduce the risk of vertical transmission.