Prevalence of M. genitalium and U. urealyticum in urine tested for C. trachomatis.

BACKGROUND

Mycoplasma genitalium and Ureaplasma urealyticum cause sexually transmitted infections. While M. genitalium is an established aetiological agent, U. urealyticum is still controversial as a pathogen. Testing for these microbes is not yet widely available in Norway, and knowledge of their prevalence is limited. In this study we have investigated the prevalence of M. genitalium and U. urealyticum in a heterogeneous population from Vestfold and Telemark.

MATERIAL AND METHOD: Urine samples (n = 4,665) received by the laboratory for testing for Chlamydia trachomatis in the period from February 2011 to January 2012 were subsequently tested for M. genitalium and U. urealyticum. Samples were analysed using an in-house PCR protocol.

RESULTS

The prevalence of C. trachomatis, M. genitalium and U. urealyticum was 11.9%, 3.6% and 17.9% respectively. M. genitalium was found most frequently in women aged 20-24 years (5.1%), while the proportion of samples positive for U. urealyticum was greatest in persons aged 15-24 years (22.8%).

INTERPRETATION: M. genitalium was highly prevalent in urine samples submitted for C. trachomatis testing. M. genitalium testing was requested for only a minority of the samples analysed, suggesting limited knowledge of this microbe. U. urealyticum was the most predominant microbe in the study, which may indicate that it is largely non-pathogenic.