Urethral infection in a workplace population of East African men: evaluation of strategies for screening and management

J Infect Dis. 1997 Apr;175(4):833-8. doi: 10.1086/513979.

Abstract

Transport workers (n = 504) in Mombasa, Kenya, were screened for urethral infection by history, clinical examination, and laboratory testing of urethral swabs and first-catch urine specimens. The prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae was 3.4%, Chlamydia trachomatis, 3.6%, and Trichomonas vaginalis, 6.0%; more than two-thirds of infections were asymptomatic. A complaint of urethral discharge, dysuria, or both was twice as sensitive as the sign of discharge on physical examination (34.5% vs. 15.5%) in identifying infection. A positive leukocyte esterase dipstick (LED) test on urine predicted infection with a sensitivity of 95.0% and a specificity of 59.3% in symptomatic men and with a sensitivity of 55.3% and a specificity of 82.8% in asymptomatic men. Demographic and behavioral factors were not independent predictors of infection. In resource-poor settings with high prevalences of urethral infection, an effective screening and management strategy would be to treat symptomatic men, as well as asymptomatic men with a positive LED test, for all three infections.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Africa / epidemiology
  • Bacterial Infections / diagnosis
  • Bacterial Infections / epidemiology*
  • Bacterial Infections / therapy
  • Chlamydia Infections / diagnosis
  • Chlamydia Infections / epidemiology
  • Chlamydia Infections / therapy
  • Female
  • Gonorrhea / diagnosis
  • Gonorrhea / epidemiology
  • Gonorrhea / therapy
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Trichomonas Vaginitis / diagnosis
  • Trichomonas Vaginitis / epidemiology
  • Trichomonas Vaginitis / therapy
  • Urethral Diseases / diagnosis
  • Urethral Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Urethral Diseases / therapy
  • Workplace