A QUANTITATIVE MICROBIOLOGICAL STUDY OF BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS

A quantitative microbial study of vaginal secretions from 100 women wi th bacterial vaginosis (BV) and 50 healthy women matched for age, was undertaken. This was aimed at comparing the bacterial flora colonising the vagina of sexually active asymptomatic women with those with BV a nd correlating bacterial counts with presence of symptoms. Of the tota l 475 bacteria isolated anaerobes were predominant among controls and among patients aerobes and anaerobes Rad equal prevalences. The increa sed viable counts of all anaerobes (> 10(7) cfu/g) were related with s ymptoms. Mobiluncus mulieris could be isolated from one patient and Ch lamydia trachormatis antigen was absent in all samples tested. Bactero ides, G. vaginalis and Ureaplasma urealyticum were found to be the mos t commonly occurring group in women with BV. Lactobacillus, and probab ly Coryneforms have a protective role in health, preventing disease.