[Treponemal infection among children in Ramotswa, Botswana. A serological study]

In Botswana in southern Africa, an area with a high prevalence of syphilis, non-venereal treponematoses used to be prevalent. In the present study sera from 136 children (0-18 years) were analysed to evaluate whether infection with non-venereal treponematoses during childhood could explain the high prevalence of treponemal seropositivity found in adults. In the age group 0-14 years, seropositivity was demonstrated in one (1%) of 87 children, compared to 10 (20%) of 49 children in the age group 15-18 years, a statistically significantly higher prevalence. All cases of seropositivity were due to active infection. The local laboratory in Botswana failed to diagnose four (36%) of the 11 cases of active syphilis when the VDRL-test alone was used. We conclude that no serological indication of non-venereal treponematoses were found in the examined children, and that syphilis was the cause of the high prevalence of treponemal infection among the sexually active adults in Botswana. It is recommended that both the VDRL-test and the TPHA-test are used in screening for syphilis in Botswana. Sexually transmitted disease-campaigns directed at the youth in Botswana should have high priorities.