Trichomonas vaginalis and Mycoplasma co-infection among women received in a microbiology laboratory in Dakar

Abstract

Introduction: Trichomonas vaginalis and Mycoplasma are common causes of sexually transmitted infections, but limited prevalence data are available in Senegal. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of T. vaginalis and genital mycoplasma infection among women in Dakar. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was carried out between 2016 and 2021 among women referred to the microbiology laboratory of the Military Hospital of Ouakam for vaginal discharge. Mycoplasma was detected by a commercial Mycoplasma EIS Kit using the endocervical swab. A wet mount smear and Gram staining were performed to detect T. vaginalis. Results: We analyzed a group of 1889 women, ranging in age from 14 to 81, with a mean age of 32.5 years (+/− 8.3 years). Our findings showed that 18.5% (95% CI (16–20)) of the women were infected with Mycoplasma hominis, while 50.5% (95% CI (48–53)) had Ureaplasma urealyticum. Trichomonas vaginitis was found in 3.5% (95% CI (2.7–4.5)) of the women. Out of the 66 patients with trichomoniasis, 68.2% were also infected with Mycoplasma hominis and 36.4% with U. urealyticum. We also observed that 88% of the women with M. homininis infection had U. urealyticum. Conclusion: Our study revealed a significant co-infection rate between Trichomonas vaginalis and Mycoplasma. This highlights the need for systematic mycoplasma screening in patients with urogenital trichomoniasis.