First case of sexually transmitted diphtheria...from male sex worker to client

[bcohen7719]

From "Sexually Transmitted Infections," May 2012 ("Sexually transmitted diphtheria," Berger, et al), BMJ (British Medical Journals Publishing Group)

 

BC

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Diphtheria is caused by diphtheria toxin-producing

Corynebacterium species. While classical respiratory

diphtheria is transmitted by droplets, cutaneous

diphtheria often results from minor trauma. This report

concerns the first case of sexually transmitted diphtheria

in a patient with non-gonococcal urethritis after

orogenital contact......

 

 

.....As diphtheria is a notifiable disease, further

investigations were performed by the local health

department. The patient originally came from

a high-endemicity region of the former Soviet

Union,1 but lived for a long time in Germany. There

was no history of recent travel abroad. The patient

reported having had oral sex with a male sex

worker 5 days before his symptoms started.

Unfortunately, no further details of the sex worker

could be obtained. The patient’s vaccination status

against diphtheria is unknown and he refused

further vaccination. As there were no signs of

pharyngeal or nasal carriage, isolation of the patient

was not initiated. The patient was advised to

abstain from unsafe sexual practices until a negative

uretheral control swab after completion of

a 10-day course of penicillin was obtained.

[Rick Munroe]

Moral: avoid contact with escorts who come from high-endemicity regions of the former Soviet Union.

[rguer]

Moral: avoid contact with escorts who come from high-endemicity regions of the former Soviet Union.

 

Also, keep your vaccinations current. I wonder if either guy in the article had had a TDaP vaccine in the last 10 years.

 

TDaP = diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough).

[Guest]

Easy enough to avoid. Diphtheria is a standard immunization, given along with tetanus boosters, every 10 years. This would only happen to those nutty A-holes who eschew all immunizations.