Southport, UK (Kron) - A rare sexually transmitted disease that causes flesh-eating
ulcers on the infected person's genitalia has been in reported in England,
according to the Lancashire Post.
The unidentified woman, who
lives in Southport, is reportedly between the ages of 15 and 25
was diagnosed with donovanosis within the past year.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
donovanosis (Granuloma Inguinale) is spread through sexual intercourse
with an infected patient, or by coming into contact with a patient's infected
ulcer.
The CDC says the painless
disease causes progressive ulcerative lesions on the genitals or perineum --
areas prone to heavy bleeding.
The STD is rarely reported
in the United States but is endemic in some tropical and developing areas,
including India, Papua New Guinea, the Caribbean, central Australia, and
southern Africa.
According to the Institute
for Sexual Health, just a few dozen cases of donovanosis happen
annually in the UK.
Officials say most UK and
US cases occur after patients have unprotected sex in endemic countries.
While antibiotic treatment
may stop the progression of lesions, patients are at risk of relapse for 6 to 8
months post-treatment.
According to the British
Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH), there have been no prior cases
reported in the UK.
Donovanosis is treatable
with antibiotics but time is of the essence as bacteria poses as a risk factor
in the transmission of HIV, according to health officials.
The woman’s case came to
light through a Freedom of Information request submitted by chemist-4-u.com, the Lancashire Post reported.
A pharmacist with
chemist-4-u.com told the Lancashire Post that any delay in treatment
“could cause the flesh around the genitals to literally rot away.”
The website submitted the
request as part of its “The Great British STI Taboo” investigation, which
reported that 69 percent of the 1,000 British adults polled had never
been tested for an STD.
The investigation also
reported that in 2017, 420,000 STDs were diagnosed in England, with chlamydia
accounting for 48 percent of cases. News 8 UK
