• Françoise Jauréguy, Patrick Chariot, Annie Vessières, and Bertrand Picard.
• Service de Bactériologie, Virologie, Hygiène Hospitalière, AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris Seine Saint-Denis, Site Avicenne, Bobigny, France; Infection, Antimicrobiens, Modélisation, Evolution (IAME), UMR 1137 INSERM, Universités Paris Diderot et Paris Nord Sorbonne Paris Cité, France.
• Forensic Sci. Int. 2016 Sep 1; 266: 130-133.

BackgroundNeisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) and Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) are the most common bacteria involved in sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In France, combined screening for CT and NG using nucleic acid amplification tests is recommended in populations that are considered at risk. However, no data have been published about victims of sexual assaults. The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the usefulness of real-time PCR for the rapid detection of CT and NG genomic DNA, and the prevalence of CT/NG infections in a sample of sexual assault victims examined at a department of forensic medicine.MethodsBetween July 2012 and July 2013, 326 adults and adolescents aged over 12 years reported a sexual assault and they were referred to the Department of Forensic Medicine for a medical and forensic examination. Secretions from urogenital (cervix or vagina), anorectal, or pharyngeal sites were collected for CT/NG assays.ResultsCT and NG were detected in 48/326 (15%) and 16/326 patients (5%), respectively, where 10 (3%) had a CT/NG co-infection. Among 48 patients with CT infection, 13 (27.1%) patients had co-occurring genital and anorectal infections. For the pharyngeal sites, 3/21 men (14.3%) were NG-positive.ConclusionsGiven the high prevalence of CT and NG infections, systematic screening of both pathogens at the time of forensic examination should provide an opportunity for the early treatment of diagnosed STIs.Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

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