Rare Chlamydia Strain Infecting Gay Men

The Washington Post ^ | February 6, 2006 | Lauran Neergaard

[DBeers]

WASHINGTON -- A particularly bad strain of chlamydia not usually seen in this country appears to be slowly spreading among gay and bisexual men, an infection that can increase their chances of getting or spreading the AIDS virus.

Called LGV chlamydia, this sexually transmitted disease has caused a worrisome outbreak in Europe, where some countries have confirmed dozens of cases. Diagnoses confirmed by U.S. health officials still are low, just 27 since they warned a year ago that the strain was headed here.

But specialists say that's undoubtedly a fraction of the infections, because this illness is incredibly hard to diagnose: Few U.S. clinics and laboratories can test for it. Painful symptoms can be mistaken for other illnesses, such as irritable bowel syndrome.

And because LGV chlamydia doesn't always cause noticeable symptoms _ right away, at least _ an unknown number of people may silently harbor and spread it, along with an increased risk of HIV transmission.

"My feeling is that what we're seeing now is still the tip of the iceberg," says Dr. Philippe Chiliade of the Whitman-Walker Clinic in Washington, D.C., which diagnosed its first few cases of LGV last month and is beginning to push for asymptomatic men to be screened.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention already was counting an 8 percent increase in HIV among gay and bisexual men between 2003 and 2004, before LGV's arrival was recognized.

"We are really concerned about this," says Dr. Catherine McLean of CDC's HIV and STD prevention program.

[ShadowAce]

I didn't need that reminder of where gays get infected with STD's.

(singing)

"Don't it make my brown eye red?"

[DBeers]

Painful symptoms can be mistaken for other illnesses, such as irritable bowel syndrome.

This tidbit of info seems to give a vague clue...

[laney]

FOUND DIRTY WHITE DOG. Looks like a rat ... been out a while..better be a reward.

[rfreedom4u]

Remember the good old days when immigrants were given a quick physical and those not healthy were sent packing? We need to restart that.

[Pio]

I know there's got to be relevent Biblical passage out there somewhere.

God has His way of taking care of business.

[PLK]

LGV is neither rare nor confined to gays.

Apparently this particular strain, which the article refers to, IS. At least for now and in the U.S.

[davisfh]

"Rare Chlamydia Strain Infecting Gay Men"

What!!?? Me worry!!??

[Popman]

At what point will be find our collective minds and start quarantining these people for their own safety and the safety of the general public?

[Joe 6-pack]

Wouldn't an epidemic of clap infections in the butt be more appropriately referred to as a 'standing ovation'?

[TheBattman]

Does this not sound a whole lot like the initial reports of AIDS decades ago? Another disease that's going to be made popular by homosexuals...

[14erClimb]

"My feeling is that what we're seeing now is still the tip of the iceberg,"

*Chuckle*

[Dawgmeister]

How about Germs of Enrearment?

[spinestein]

Suppose he's got a painful stick?!!

[spinestein]

Suppose he's got a painful stick?!!

[popdonnelly]

These guys really can't figure out what causes it, can they?

[vetvetdoug]

LGV was very common in dogs about 20 years ago. Leash laws and indiscriminate breeding of strays have reduced the incidence to almost nil in the last couple of years.

[doorgunner69]

"Don't it make my brown eye red?"

You just had to post that, didn't you?

ROTFLMAO!

[manwiththehands]

AIDS is only one of the multiple diseases gay men expose themselves to that are generally not found in the rest of the population. We only hear about AIDS because it's deadly.

[dynachrome]

You think.....? Nah, no one be that sick, right?

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

One more way excuse for them to steal our money and use most of it for their political causes.