Trichomonas vaginalis, an anaerobic, parasitic flagellated protozoan, is the causative agent of trichomoniasis, and is the most common pathogenic protozoan infection of humans in industrialized countries. The WHO has estimated that 180 million cases of infection are acquired annually worldwide. The estimates for North America alone are between 5 and 8 million new infections each year, with an estimated rate of asymptomatic cases as high as 50%.
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Trichomonas vaginalis, an anaerobic, parasitic flagellated protozoan, is the causative agent of trichomoniasis, and is the most common pathogenic protozoan infection of humans in industrialized countries. The WHO has estimated that 180 million cases of infection are acquired annually worldwide. The estimates for North America alone are between 5 and 8 million new infections each year, with an estimated rate of asymptomatic cases as high as 50%.
Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted infection which can occur in females (males rarely exhibit symptoms of a T. vaginalis infection) if the normal acidity of the vagina is shifted from a healthy, semi-acidic pH (3.8 - 4.2) to a much more basic one (5 - 6) that is conducive to T. vaginalis growth. Some of the symptoms of T. vaginalis include: preterm delivery, low birth weight, and increased mortality as well as predisposing to HIV infection, AIDS, and cervical cancer. T. vaginalis has also been reported in the urinary tract, fallopian...
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