Recent Trends of Syphilis Prevalence in the Normal Population in Korea - 1995

Kim, Hee Sung; Lee, Han Sung; Lee, Min Geol; Lee, Jung Bock

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The VDRL is used as a screening test for syphilis worldwide. In addition, reactive rates of the VDRL test are used to estimate the incidence of syphilis. The prevalence of syphilis reported in Korea varies according to the study population, district and time. Reports on prevalence of syphilis indicate that reactive rates of the serologic test for syphilis showed an increasing tendency in the 1960s and has steadily decreased in the 1990s. We have already reported VDRL positive rates periodically since the late 1970s in similar areas with similar population groups and methods in order to standardize the results for accurate analysis of the prevalence of syphilis in Korea.
OBJECTIVE
This study was performed utilizing the VDRL test in order to find out if the decreasing trend of syphilis prevalence is still continuing.
METHODS
The ser ologic tests for syphilis were carried out on 13,426 apparently normal adults aged twenty-years-old or over(8,250 blood donors in the Seoul area, 2,461 physical examinees examined at Severance Hospital, Yonsei University and 2,715 pregnant women at delivery at Severance Hospital, Yonsei University ) from January to December 1995. We hve performed the VDRL quantitative test in VDRL-reactive persons among blood donors and pregnant women.
RESULTS
The reactive rate of the serum VDRL test was 0.2% in 13,426 healthy adults(blood donors.0.2%, physical examinees:0,2%, pregnant women:0.3%). There was a statistically decreasing tendency compared to 0.4% in 1990(p<0.001). The VDRL quantitative test resulted in levels below the 1:2 titer in 92% of the VDRL-reactive physical exarninees and pregnant women.
CONCLUSION
From the comparison of VDRL reactive rates for syphilis in an apparently normal Korean population obtained by the present author group since 1977, i.e., 2.5% in 1977, 1.1% in 1981, 0.6% in 1986, 0.4% in 1990 and 0.2% in 1995, it is clear that the prevalence of syphilis has been rapidly decreasing since the mid 1970s in Korea.