Prevalence of Asymptomatic Infection by <i>Treponema pallidum</i> in Pregnants of the Baixada Fluminense Region, Province of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Abstract

Syphilis is an infectious disease with worldwide distribution caused by Treponema pallidum, and has great clinical importance when the pathogenesis is in pregnant women. The congenital disease is the result of the infection by vertical transmission of the Treponema to the fetus and can be the cause of high morbidity of the concepts during intrauterine life. It can also cause serious problems during pregnancy such as expontaneous abortus, premature babies with low weight, stillbournes, neonatal mortality, and early or late complications in children who survive to the infection. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of syphilis in pregnants in obstetrics clinics in the Baixada Fluminense region and advise the seropositives for appropriate treatment and evaluate the intervention, contributing to the eradicate to the maternal diseases and preventing the transmission of the Treponema to the concepts. During the years 2010 and 2011, venous blood samples were collected from 1183 asymptomatic adult pregnants accompanied by obstetricians to detect anti-T. pallidum. The serum obtained from the blood was frozen and stored at -20°C until the analysis by serologic reactions of Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) and passive hemagglutination (TPHA). The results showed 28 cases were diagnosed with titers equal or superior to 1:16, suggestive of syphilitic disease, corresponding to the coefficient of prevalence of 2.37%. There were dominance of cases in pregnants in the etary group between 21 and 30 years old. There is asymptomatic infection among the examined pregnants of Baixada Fluminense region, with possible risk of vertical transmission of infection to their concepts.