Haemophilus vaginalis (Corynebacterium vaginale) vaginitis in women attending public health clinics: response to treatment with ampicillin

Abstract

Haemophilus vaginalis (Corynebacterium vaginale) was isolated from genital specimens from 150 women who came to a public health venereal disease clinic. Forty-six patients returned to the clinic for at least one follow-up examination. Of the returnees, 22 of 24 who initially had received adequate therapy (14 g ampicillin in seven days) were cured, compared with three of 22 who did not received adequate therapy (X2 = 25.11; P less than 0.00005). These data included significant cure rates with adequate therapy among the 46 returnees, of whom 25 had vaginitis due to H. vaginalis only (X2 = 16.67; P less than 0.00005) and 21 had vaginitis caused by a mixture of pathogens (X2 = 5.86; P less than 0.0156). Specimens obtained from 24 of the 46 returnees were cultured for H. vaginalis on the second visit; 19 were negative, and only five were positive. Clinical responses of the patients correlated closely with the results of culture in both treated and untreated groups (X2 = 14.23; P less than 0.00016).