Performance of TaqMan probes for the detection of sexually transmitted infections in South African women

Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Trichomonas vaginalis and Mycoplasma genitalium are the four main aetiologies of sexually transmitted infections responsible for vaginal discharge syndrome (VDS). Commercially available multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays are expensive and generally not customisable. We evaluated a highly customisable singleplex PCR approach by testing it in parallel with the Anyplex™ II STI-7 detection assay in a cohort of South African women that presented with VDS between May 2016 and January 2017. Our multiple singleplex PCR strategy proved to be a simple, accurate, rapid, affordable and scalable option for diagnosing VDS.