Example 4
Syphilis is an STI that can cause long-term complications if not treated correctly. Symptoms in adults are divided into stages. These stages are primary, secondary, latent, and late syphilis. In pregnant women, having syphilis can lead to giving birth to a low birth weight baby. It can also lead to delivering the baby too early or stillborn (CDC fact sheet, 2015).
Although T. pallidum cannot be grown in culture, there are many tests for the direct and indirect diagnosis of syphilis. Still, there is no single optimal test. Direct diagnostic methods include the detection of T. pallidum by microscopic examination of fluid or smears from lesions, histological examination of tissues or nucleic acid amplification methods such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Indirect diagnosis is based on serological tests for the detection of antibodies (Ratnam S, Can J Infect Dis Med Microbiol 2005). Treatment includes a single dose of intramuscular administration of penicillin (2.4 Million units).
In some embodiments, the disclosed device can be used to detect syphilis infections from menstrual blood or cervicovaginal fluids.
