Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Other Important STDS

As medical science has become more precise contained by diagnosing infectious diseases, the list of certain sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) has grown. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) have published separate fact sheets on some of the crucial STDs: chlamydial infection; gonorrhea; pelvic inflammatory disease (PID); trichomoniasis and other vaginal infections; syphilis; genital herpes; genital warts; and AIDS. NIAID have prepared this fact sheet to provide information on some of the other diseases that can be transmitted sexually:


* chancroid


* cytomegalovirus infection


* molluscum contagiosum


* pubic "crab" lice


* scabies


* HTLV-I and II


Although some of these diseases are smaller quantity well-known contained by the United States than other STDs, they are still important -- some are especially significant for pregnant women. Many of these infections are of serious concern for relations in other parts of the world, chiefly in developing countries.


Chancroid


Chancroid ("shan-kroid")is an vital bacterial infection caused by Haemophilus ducreyi, which is spread by sexual contact. Periodic outbreaks of chancroid own occurred contained by the United States, the last one mortal in the behind schedule 1980s. These outbreaks are usually seen contained by minority populations in the inner cities, especially in the southern and eastern portion of the country. Globally, this disease is common surrounded by sub-Saharan Africa among men who have frequent contact next to prostitutes.


The infection begins beside the appearance of painful unambiguous sores on the genitals, sometimes accompanied by swollen, tender lymph nodes within the groin. These symptoms occur inside a week after exposure. Symptoms in women are repeatedly less evident and may be limited to itchy urination or defecation, painful intercourse, rectal bleeding, or vaginal discharge. Chancroid lesion may be difficult to distinguish from ulcers cause by genital herpes or syphilis. A physician must therefore diagnose the infection by excluding other diseases beside similar symptoms. People with chancroid can be treated effectively beside one of several antibiotics. Chancroid is one of the genital ulcer diseases that may be associated next to an increased risk of transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the exact of AIDS.


Cytomegalovirus Infections


Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a very adjectives virus that infects approximately one-half of all immature adults in the United States. It from time to time causes serious consequences except surrounded by people beside suppressed or impaired immune systems or contained by infants, whose immune systems are still developing. The virus, a member of the herpesvirus family connections, is found in saliva, urine, and other bodily fluids. Because it is habitually found in semen as all right as in cervical secretion, the virus can be spread by sexual contact; it also can be easily spread by other forms of physical contact such as kissing. Day-care center staff for children lower than the age of 3 are at increased risk of CMV infection and should carefully valet their hands after varying diapers. Like other herpesvirus infections, CMV is incurable; people are infected near it for life. Although the virus usually remains in an sitting state, it can reactivate from time to time.


Symptoms. In healthy adults, CMV usually produces no symptoms of infection. Occasionally, however, mild symptoms of swollen lymph glands, hallucination, and fatigue may occur. These symptoms may be similar to those of infectious mononucleosis.


Diagnosis. The ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) check is commonly used to detect levels of antibodies (disease-fighting proteins of the immune system) in the blood. A number of other blood test can suggest a diagnosis of CMV infection, but no blood test can reliably diagnose it. Although CMV can be isolated from urine or other body fluids, it may be excreted months or years after an infection; in consequence, isolation of the virus from these fluids is not a reliable method of diagnosing recent infection.


Complications. Babies can be infected with CMV within the uterus if their mothers become infected with the virus or develop a replication of a previous infection during pregnancy. Although most babies infected with CMV beforehand birth do not develop any symptoms, CMV is the leading effect of congenital infection in the United States. An estimated 6,000 babies each year develop life-threatening complications of congenital CMV infection at birth or suffer serious consequences latter in natural life, including mental retardation, blindness, deafness, or epilepsy. Investigators supported by NIAID are currently studying how the virus interferes with regular fetal development and at which stages the fetus is most susceptible to infection. Congenital CMV is the most adjectives cause of progressive deafness within children.


When CMV is acquired after birth, or if it reactivates, it can be life-threatening for individuals with suppressed immune systems, such as those reception chemotherapy or persons who own received immunosuppressant drugs for organ transplantation. Persons with HIV infection or AIDS may develop severe CMV infections, including CMV retinitis, an eye disease that can organize to blindness.


Treatment. NIAID scientists are testing unmarked antiviral drugs that might be effective against CMV infections. The antiviral drugs foscarnet and ganciclovir hold been approved for treating population with AIDS-associated CMV retinitis.


Prevention. There is no intervention to prevent CMV. Use of the masculine condom may reduce risk although virus contained by the saliva would be transmitted by kissing or oral intercourse. Some experts believe that primary or first-time exposure during pregnancy is a major exact of CMV infection in newborns. Infants infected in the past or just after birth are predictable to be shedding CMV in saliva and urine, which can infect others. Hand washing and proper handling of diapers may drain risk. Scientists are working to develop a vaccine and other methods to provide immunity to CMV and extend protection against severe disease.


Molluscum Contagiosum


This common viral infection most regularly affects young children, who go past it to each other through saliva. In adults, however, the virus is transmitted sexually, resulting in lesion on the genitals, lower abdomen, buttocks, or inner thighs. Most culture with the infection do not enjoy noticeable symptoms, although sometimes the lesion, which are painless wart-like bumps, may itch or become irritated. The lesions normally heal minus treatment, although physicians may sometimes scrape them stale or treat them with chemical irritants.


Pubic Lice


Pubic lice (pediculosis pubis or crab lice) are exceptionally tiny insects that infest the pubic hair and survive by feed on human blood. These parasites are most commonly spread by sexual contact; in a few cases, they may be picked up through contact beside infested bedding or clothing. An estimated 3 million people beside new cases of the infestation are treated respectively year in the United States.


Symptoms. The primary symptom of infestation is itching in the pubic nouns. Scratching may spread the lice to other parts of the body; thus, every effort should be made to avoid touching the infected nouns, although this may be difficult.


Diagnosis. Pubic lice are diagnosed easily because they are detectable to the naked eye. They are pinhead size, oval in shape, and grayish, but appear red when full of blood from their host. Nits, the tiny white eggs, also are visible and usually are observed clinging to the floor of pubic hair.


Treatment. Lotions and shampoos that will gun down pubic lice are available both over the counter and by prescription. Creams or lotions containing lindane, a powerful pesticide, are most frequently prescribed for the treatment of pubic lice. Pregnant women may be advised not to use this drug, and a physician's recommendation for use in infants and small children should be followed fussily. Itching may persist even after the lice own been eradicated. This is because the skin have been irritated and requires time to treat. A soothing lotion such as calamine may offer interim relief.


Prevention. All people with whom an infested individual have come into close contact, including family and close friends as okay as sex partners, should be treated to ensure that the lice hold been eliminate. In addition, adjectives clothing and bedding should be dry-cleaned or washed surrounded by very hot hose down (125 [degrees] F), dried at a high setting, and ironed to rid them of any lice. Pubic lice die inside 24 hours of being separated from the body. Because the eggs may live up to six days, it is celebrated to apply the treatment for the full time recommended.


Scabies


Scabies is a skin infestation with a tiny mite, Sarcoptes scabiei. Scabies have become relatively common throughout the broad population. It is highly contagious and is spread primarily through sexual contact, although it also is commonly transmitted by contact next to skin, infested sheets, towels, or even furniture.


Symptoms. Scabies causes intense itching, which normally becomes worse at dark. Small red bumps or lines appear on the body at sites where the womanly scabies mite has burrowed into the skin to lay her eggs. The areas most commonly artificial include the hands (especially between the fingers), wrists, elbows, lower belly, and genitals. The skin reaction may not develop until a month or more after infestation. During this time, a being may pass the disease unknowingly to a sex partner or to another being with whom he or she have close contact.


Diagnosis. Scabies may be confused with other skin irritations such as poison ivy or eczema. To trademark an accurate diagnosis, a doctor takes a scrape of the irritated area and examines it underneath a microscope, to reveal the presence of the mite.


Treatment. As with pubic lice, lindane is an successful treatment for scabies. Pregnant women should consult a doctor before using this product. Nonprescription remedies such as sulfur gel also are available. Sulfur is fairly potent but may be objectionable because of its odor and messiness. Itching can persist even after the infestation have been eliminate because of lingering skin irritation. A hydrocortisone cream or lotion or a soothing lotion may provide relief from itching.


Prevention. Family member and sex partners of a personage with scabies are advise to undergo treatment. Twenty-four hours after drug psychotherapy, a person next to scabies infestation is no longer contagious to others, even though the skin irritation may persist for some time. As near pubic lice, special care must be taken to rid clothing and bedding of any mites.


Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus


The human T-cell lymphotropic virus (retroviruses), HTLV-I and HTLV-II, are uncommon surrounded by the general U.S. population. They appear to be most prevalent among IV drug users and folks who have multiple sex partner, genital ulcers, or a history of syphilis. The virus can be transmitted by blood or intimate sexual contact, and can be passed from mother to child during pregnancy and through breast milk.


Most infected folks remain healthy carrier of the virus. In rare cases, however, HTLV-I can inflict adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL), a unusual and aggressive cancer of the blood. Infected persons also may develop myelopathy, a neurologic disorder that affects the muscles surrounded by the legs. In addition, researchers assume that HTLV-I plays a role in the nouns of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia. HTLV-II can cause another scarce cancer called hairy-cell leukemia. Because the likelihood of curing ATL rely on early detection, scientists are studying protein in the blood of HTLV-I-infected people that may help predict who will develop the disease.


Blood donations are screen routinely for HTLV-I. Because lab tests cannot efficiently distinguish between HTLV-I and HTLV-II, experts believe many cases of HTLV-II are eliminate from the blood supply as well.


Research


STD research explicitly supported and conducted by NIAID will help within the search for strange ways to diagnose, treat, and prevent these infections. This is important not single for the well-being of our adult population but also for the condition of future generation.


NIAID, a component of the National Institutes of Health, supports research on AIDS, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases as well as allergies and immunology.

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