Four new dangerous sexually transmitted infections
'13.02.2019'
Source: health.mail.ru
New diseases are emerging all the time, and sexually transmitted diseases are no exception.
We will tell you about four types of bacteria that are the causative agents of new dangerous STDs and pose a serious danger to human health, writes health.mail.ru.
1. Meningococcus
Neisseria meningitidis causes meningococcal infection, which can cause a deadly lesion of the nasopharyngeal mucosa, as well as the membranes of the brain and spinal cord.
Previously, meningococcal infection was mainly associated with meningitis - inflammation of the lining of the brain, often with a fatal outcome. However, now it is increasingly attributed to the urogenital type of infection.
In one of the studies of the 1970s. describes a case of autofellation in chimpanzees - the transfer of meningococcal bacteria from the oral cavity to the area of the penis. The carriers of the infection are 5-10% of adults. Typically, the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis live in the human nasopharynx. The bacteria, as doctors note, are transmitted through oral contact. Outbreaks of this disease have been reported in Europe, Canada and the United States.
A close relative of Neisseria meningitidis is the causative agent of gonorrhea, Neisseria gonorrhoeae. In 2015, the US isolated the Neisseria strain, which is the result of genetic recombination of the DNA of both bacteria. This type of infection caused outbreaks in several US cities in 2015.
One of the studies is devoted to the study of cases of inflammation of the urethra caused by meningococcal bacteria. It was about a specific group of men. According to scientists, the infection was transmitted during oral contact.
Scientists have determined that the DNA of the strain that caused an outbreak of the disease in several cities in the United States in 2015 was formed by genetic recombination with a similar infection - gonococcus, which causes gonorrhea. This strain is highly contagious, that is, it spreads among people faster than others.
The five types of Neisseria meningitidis cause the majority of cases of diseases throughout the world. Fortunately, there are two vaccines against them that work effectively against all five types of bacteria.
2. Mycoplasma genitalium
Mycoplasma genitalium is one of the smallest bacteria, but the disease it causes is one of the most dangerous sexually transmitted infections.
This bacterium became known in the 1980s. At the moment, it is carried by 1-2% of the world's inhabitants - mainly adolescents and young people.
Often, infection is asymptomatic, or symptoms characteristic of gonorrhea or chlamydia may appear - inflammation of the cervix or urethra.
Since this infection can trigger pelvic inflammatory disease in women, the consequences of infection can be quite serious, including infertility, miscarriage, premature birth and missed pregnancies.
Although condoms protect against this infection, doctors are concerned that the bacteria mycoplasma genitalium is actively developing resistance to antibiotics such as azithromycin and doxycycline.
“I am concerned that this microorganism is developing more and more resistance [to antibiotics] and the infection is becoming more common,” said Matthew Golden, director of the Seattle and King County HIV and STD Program.
Timely diagnosis and early treatment, scientists hope, will help prevent the Mycoplasma genitalium bacteria from becoming a super-bacterium.
3. Shigella Flexner
Shigellosis is a group of diseases caused by bacteria of the genus Shigella, with a fecal-oral transmission mechanism. Infection with Shigella flexneri results in dysentery, which causes severe stomach cramps and bouts of diarrhea mixed with blood and mucus.
It used to be that children and travelers going to poor countries were more susceptible to this disease. However, with the 1970's. cases of shigellosis have increasingly begun to be registered among gay and bisexual people. According to scientists, in these cases the bacteria are transmitted during anal and oral contact.
With the advent of new ways of spreading the infection, outbreaks of the disease have been noted around the world.
Demeter Daskalakis, a spokesman for the New York City Department of Health, says the sexually transmitted disease is also becoming resistant to antibiotics - including azithromycin, which is also used to treat gonorrhea.
Experts are concerned that the use of this antibiotic for the treatment of various types of shigellosis can potentially lead to the appearance of a superbacterium that causes gonorrhea. Doctors have developed more sophisticated treatments for this STD without the use of antibiotics.
4. Venereal lymphogranuloma (VLG)
This disease is caused by a rare strain of the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis, says Christopher Schissl, doctor at One Medical Clinic in San Francisco.
When infected, first appear boils and ulcers in the genital area, then the infection penetrates the human lymphatic system.
The disease can resemble inflammatory bowel disease and can lead to chronic and severe disruption of bowel function, such as fistula formation or narrowing of the bowel.
Over the past 10 years, venereal lymphogranuloma has become a fairly common disease in Europe and North America. As with chlamydia, this disease increases the risk of HIV infection.
According to doctors, the use of condoms reduces the risk of infection with this infection. Treatment of VLG involves taking antibiotics (for example, doxycycline) for three weeks.
