Rare STD surfaces in Canada

[DudleyDoRight]

I have copied and pasted this article fro the CBC for the members, and highlighted a couple of key points. Just a heads up - play safe!



A potentially fatal STD that rarely appears in industrialized countries has popped up in Canada, raising fears of an outbreak.

So far, 22 cases of lymphogranuloma venereum have been reported to the country's public health agency, according to an analysis in the May 31 online edition of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

"Currently in Canada, LGV appears to be primarily occurring among men having sex with men, a high proportion of whom have concurrent HIV infection, other [sexually transmitted infections] or hepatitis C," the analysis says.

"LGV is an emerging and significant public health concern."

LGV, a type of chlamydia infection, can be transmitted through vaginal, anal or oral sexual contact.

It starts as a small lesion and can progress to painfully swell lymph nodes.

If left untreated, it can lead to deformity of the genitals or rectum, and, in rare cases, even death.

The infection is endemic in parts of Africa, Asia, South America and the Caribbean.

LGV seldom appeared in industrialized countries until recently. Cases among men who have sex with men popped up in the Netherlands in 2003, followed by cases in Belgium, France, Germany, Sweden, Britain and the United States.

These cases have been associated with concurrent HIV or hepatitis C infections and higher-risk sexual activities such as sex parties.

The article in the medical journal, which will appear in its June 21 print edition, says that the provinces and territories had reported 16 confirmed and six possible cases of LGV to the Public Health Agency of Canada by May 13.

The earliest known onset of an infection dated back to January 2004.

Epidemiological data was available for 19 of the 22 cases: all were men who didn't appear to be connected.

Ten patients reported having sex with men and one reported having sex with women in the two months before they were interviewed. No one reported having sex in other countries during that time.

 

[Esco!]

Can antibiotics treat this???

 

[RogerRabbit]

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1117578629401_62/?hub=TopStories

CTV.ca News Staff

Updated: Tue. May. 31 2005 9:06 PM ET

'Public health officials are warning Canadian doctors about the emergence of LGV, a rare sexually transmitted disease.
The reported cases are raising concerns about the rise of high-risk sexual activities in the gay population.
A study published in the online edition of the Canadian Medical Association Journal says while lymphogranuloma venereum is endemic in parts of Africa, Asia, South America and the Caribbean, it is rare in industrialized countries.
Recently, however, clusters of cases reported in men having sex with men have been reported in Europe and the United States.
"These cases have been associated with concurrent HIV infection and hepatitis C, sex parties and higher-risk sexual activities," the report says.
To monitor LGV in Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada established a national surveillance system in February 2005. As of May 13, 22 cases have been reported to the PHAC; 6 of them probable and 16 confirmed.
Of the 13 cases for which the date of symptom onset was identified, the earliest was January 2004, and the most recent was March 21, 2005.
Epidemiologic data were available for 19 of these cases -- all of which were among men aged 29 to 47. The study says none of these cases appear to be linked.
Unlike AIDS, LGV is easily treatable. But once infected with it, the disease increases a person's chance of contracting other sexually transmitted diseases.
The report warns that "the presence of LGV increases the risk for acquisition and transmission of HIV infection, other STIs and other conditions caused by bloodborne pathogens, such as hepatitis C."
The Boston Globe reports that studies show patients who had gonorrhea and syphilis were more likely to become infected with HIV because the sores provide an opening for the AIDS virus to get into the bloodstream.
This is why doctors fear the same could be true for this rare sexually transmitted disease.
"This would fit at least on a theoretical basis," Dr. David Hamer, a specialist in infectious disease and global health at the Boston University School of Public Health told the Globe.
"It's always worrisome when you see a pathogen that's not common in developed countries suddenly appear."
LGV is passed person to person through direct contact with lesions, ulcers or other areas where the bacteria is located.
High-risk practices include: unprotected sex, anal intercourse, sex with partners in endemic countries and multiple sex partners. Symptoms can appear days after exposure or they can take as long as a month.
Although there is no vaccine against the bacteria, if diagnosed early, it can be effectively treated with three weeks of antibiotics.
© Copyright 2002-2006 Bell Globemedia Inc.'

 

[kricket]

carefull guys