NONINVASIVE DETECTION OF CHLAMYDIA-TRACHOMATIS GENITAL INFECTIONS IN ASYMPTOMATIC MALES AND FEMALES BY ENZYME-IMMUNOASSAY (CHLAMYDIAZYME)

First voided urine, urethral and cervical swabs were collected from 30 0 asymptomatic inmates made up of 200 males and 100 females from priso ns in Fiji. The enzyme immunoassay for detection of chlamydial antigen test was performed on the sediment of the urine samples. The prevalen ce of chlamydial urethritis in the study population of men as determin ed by culture of urethral swabs was 15%. Compared with the urethral cu ltures for chlamydia the urine EIA had a sensitivity of 86.6% and a sp ecificity of 98.2%. In women the incidence of urogenital chlamydia inf ection was 18%. Using the results of the cervical swabs as a reference standard the urine EIA in the females showed a sensitivity of 61.1% w ith a specificity of 97.6%. Culturing urine sediments from both men an d women showed low results (30.0% for men and 22.2% for women). The ra pid enzyme immunoassay testing of male FVU sediment appears to be a re liable, non-traumatic and rapid method of diagnosing Chlamydia infecti on. The judicious use of this non-invasive method may help in detectin g and treating men, thus reducing the rapid spread of the pathogen in the community.