Stopping syphilis transmission in Arctic communities through rapid diagnostic testing: The STAR study protocol

Syphilis transmission remains high in several Canadian Arctic communities, where diagnostic delays are common due to remoteness and limited healthcare infrastructure. The STAR study evaluates the impact of introducing a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) in Nunavut and Nunavik to improve the detection and treatment of syphilis. By implementing point-of-care screening with the Chembio DPP® Syphilis RDT, the study seeks to validate the test’s accuracy, shorten the time from diagnosis to treatment, and generate evidence to strengthen public health strategies for controlling syphilis outbreaks in remote Arctic regions.

Fig 1. Structure of the Chembio DPP^® Syphilis Screen & Confirm Assay showing the locations of the antigen test lines.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36094912/