“Syphilis is one of the vital sexually transmitted infections (STIs) caused by the bacteria named, Treponema pallidum, and can lead to long-term complications, if not diagnosed adequately. Syphilis continues to be a global health concern due to the increasing incidences occurring mainly among bisexuals, gays and MSM (men who have sex with men). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there were an estimated 36 million cases of syphilis in 2013 globally, with over 11 million new cases occurring annually. Additionally, around 90% of the syphilis cases are prevalent in developing countries with similar trends now observed in developed nations as well. The increasing syphilis cases are mainly due to the growing rate of anonymous sex, sex with multiple partners, sex under the influence of several drugs and increasing number of unprotected sex both anal and oral. Moreover, this is also gaining prominence in pregnant women due to the sex with infected partners, which can further lead to congenital abnormalities such as stillbirth, abortions and other abnormalities in pregnancy.
The global syphilis testing market is expected to reach $3,650.3 million by 2020, at a CAGR of 1.2%, from 2014 to 2020. There are various methods used for diagnosing syphilis cases, which include venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL) test, rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test, enzyme immunoassay (EIA) test and few others. All syphilis tests are serological i.e. based upon antibodies present in the body fluid. The market would continue to grow primarily due to the rising incidences of fatal syphilis diseases, disease-related high-economic burden and concurrent implementation of new programs such as provider-initiated counselling and testing (PICT) and client-initiated counselling and testing (CICT). However, inadequate infrastructure provisions such as labs, equipment and supplies, lack of trained laboratory personnel in secluded geographic locations such as West African countries and...