Iranian Journal of Medical Microbiology

en Screening for Syphilis Incidence in a Tertiary Care Facility: A Reverse Algorithm Cross-Sectional Investigation باکتری شناسی پزشکی Medical Bacteriology مقاله کوتاه پژوهشی Brief Original Article Background and Aim: Syphilis continues to present a major public health challenge globally, with serologic testing central to detection and control efforts. Comparative evaluation of screening algorithms, particularly the performance of automated Chemiluminescent Microparticle Immunoassay (CMIA) versus Rapid plasma reagin (RPR) using Treponema (T.) pallidum hemagglutination assay (TPHA) as the reference standard, is critical for optimizing diagnostic accuracy. This study aimed to investigate syphilis prevalence and assesse the efficacy of reverse screening strategies in a high-volume academic tertiary care center. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted from July 2024 to March 2025 at SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre. Individuals presenting to the outpatient department were screened using Abbott ARCHITECT Syphilis TP (CMIA). Positive samples underwent RPR testing, followed by TPHA confirmation. Results & Conclusion: Out of 4312 samples, 52 (1.2%) were CMIA positive. Among these, 75% were male and 25% were female, with one case of congenital syphilis. Of the CMIA-positive cases, 35 (67.3%) were RPR positive and 34 (32.7%) were TPHA confirmed. Among the 17 RPR-negative samples, 4 (23.52%) were TPHA positive and 13 (76.48%) were negative. The study found low syphilis prevalence (1.2%) among the screened population. A significant proportion of RPR-negative but TPHA-positive cases underscore the need for combined testing strategies. These findings highlight the importance of comprehensive serologic screening, continued surveillance, and targeted public health interventions. Chemiluminescent Microparticle Immunoassay, Hemagglutination assay, Rapid Plasma Reagin, Syphilis, Treponema pallidum 56 62 http://ijmm.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-2881-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Anna Pratheesh ap1718@srmist.edu.in 100319475328460034291 100319475328460034291 No Department of Microbiology, SRM Medical College Hospital & Research Center, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, India Anusha Gopinathan anusha.gopinathan@gmail.com 100319475328460034292 100319475328460034292 Yes Department of Microbiology, SRM Medical College Hospital & Research Center, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, India Maheswary Datchanamoorthy maheswad@srmist.edu.in 100319475328460034293 100319475328460034293 No Department of Microbiology, SRM Medical College Hospital & Research Center, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, India Jayalakshmi SS jayalaks5@srmist.edu.in 100319475328460034294 100319475328460034294 No Department of Microbiology, SRM Medical College Hospital & Research Center, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, India Aparna Sivankutty Nair an0891@srmist.edu.in 100319475328460034295 100319475328460034295 No Department of Microbiology, SRM Medical College Hospital & Research Center, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, India Leela Kakithakara Vajravelu leelav@srmist.edu.in 100319475328460034296 100319475328460034296 No Department of Microbiology, SRM Medical College Hospital & Research Center, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, India