Properties of Enterococcus faecalis, a new probiotic bacterium isolated from the intestine of snakehead fish (Channa striatus Bloch)

Bacterial vaginosis is the commonest cause of vaginal discharge in sexually active females. It is often associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes and increased susceptibility to other sexually transmitted diseases. In the present study, we evaluated efficacy of OSOM BV Blue test and compared it with conventional methods like Gram staining and Amsel’s criteria for diagnosing bacterial vaginosis. A total of 635 females attending gynaecology OPD and antenatal clinic with complaints of vaginal discharge were included in the study along with 50 healthy females as controls. Two vaginal swabs were collected aseptically from each patient. One swab was used for Gram staining and the other for OSOM BV Blue test. Amine test and vaginal pH test as defined in Amsel’s criteria were also performed. Bacterial vaginosis was detected in 60.8% of patients. OSOM BV Blue test detected maximum number of cases with sensitivity and specificity of 95.3 and 92.1%, respectively. Thus, it can be used as a point-of-care test useful in making rapid and accurate diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis in setups lacking microscopic facilities or technical expertise.   Key words: OSOM BV Blue test, Gram staining, Amsel’s criteria, bacterial vaginosis.