Point-of-Care Testing and Diagnostics for Sexually Transmitted Disease

Abstract

AbstractSexually transmitted disease/infection (STD/STI) is acquired by an uninfected person through sexual contact with an infected person. These infections might be of viral, bacterial, and parasitic origin. Globally, a single day records more than one million new STD/STI cases. It majorly adds to the health burden worldwide and is responsible for more than 75% of health-care costs. These infections can be of two categories, curable and noncurable. Curable infections are Neisseria gonorrhea, Chlamydia trachomatis, Treponema pallidum, and Trichomonas vaginalis infections; noncurable include the viral infections [human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), herpes simplex virus (HSV), human papillomavirus (HPV), and hepatitis B virus (HBV)]. WHO estimated a total of 376 million new STD/STI cases in 2016, around 500 million or more are living with genital HSV, and 300 million women with cervical cancer have active HSV infection. The herpes papillomavirus (HPV) infection alone is responsible for 300 thousand cervical cancer deaths, while gonorrhea and chlamydia infections are associated with increased pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. These infections are not only restricted to adults but also qually infective in new-born because of their evident mother-to-child transmission. This mother-to-child infection accounts for 200 thousand stillbirth or neonatal deaths globally. Such transmission is majorly dominated by syphilis, approximately one million pregnant women have active syphilis infection at the time of birth.The increased burden of STD/STIs has revolutionized the laboratory testing techniques, with the adaption of new and fast detection methods. There is always a demand for affordable and cost-effective techniques for communities or point-of-care testing (POCT). The POCT has tremendous potential to control the STD/STI, because they are rapid and performed near to patients. This provides personal freedom to test the disease and report at clinic. The bioanalytic performance of a POCT device is determined by its biosensor. A combination of microfluidics, electronics, lab-on-chip technologies, and biological agents has been designed to measure or detect infectious agents. The advancement in biosensing technologies targeting the need for noninvasive, rapid turnover, accurate, compact, and durable devices, which can be operated at an individual level, without personalized training. These tools also provide a way to search for new diagnostic biomarkers to access the preinfectional stage. The lack of affordable and reliable POCT for STD/STI is a major barrier in controlling the spread and prevention of these infections. This chapter will specificly highlight the recent and future development in POCT to deal with STD/STIs according to the need of developing countries.KeywordsSexual transmitted diseaseSTDSTIPOCT and POCD and diagnosis