New diseases emerge all the time, and sexually transmitted infections are no exception. Mosaic collects four bacteria that could become a serious threat to public health.
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October 14, 20211. Neisseria meningitidis
N. meningitidis (also called meningococcus) can cause invasive meningitis, a life-threatening infection of the brain and the protective membranes of the spinal cord.
About five to ten percent of adults carry N. meningitidis in the back of their nose and throat. Studies suggest that they can potentially transmit the bacteria to partners through oral sex, deep kissing, or other types of close contact that transmit infected droplets.
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Researchers are still unsure which of these transmission routes has caused outbreaks of invasive forms of the disease among gay and bisexual men in Europe, Canada, and the United States. However, another study on urethritis caused by N. meningitidis in men found that the source of infection was oral sex.
2. Mycoplasma genitalium
M. genitalium, one of the smallest known bacteria, is gaining an enormous reputation as a concerning sexually transmitted disease. Identified in the 1980s, the bacterium today infects approximately one to two percent of people and is especially common in adolescents and young adults.
Infection with M. genitalium, although often without symptoms, can mimic chlamydia or gonorrhea with persistent irritation of the urethra and cervix. Because it can trigger pelvic inflammatory disease in the female reproductive system, it has been associated with infertility, miscarriage, preterm labor, and even stillbirth.
While condoms can help prevent infection, researchers have raised the alarm about the growing resistance of M. genitalium to treatment with the antibiotics azithromycin and doxycycline.
3. Shigella flexneri
Shigellosis (or Shigella dysentery) is transmitted by direct or indirect contact with human feces. The infection causes severe stomach cramps and explosive bouts of bloody, mucus-filled diarrhea, which helps perpetuate transmission of the bacteria.
Although the disease is commonly associated with young children and travelers in some low- and middle-income countries, researchers began documenting cases of shigellosis in gay and bisexual men in the 1970s. Scientists believe that S. flexneri, essentially, it exploded a new niche for transmission via anal-oral sex and has led to multiple outbreaks around the world ever since.
Demetre Daskalakis, assistant commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, says this STI is rapidly becoming resistant to azithromycin, which is also used to treat gonorrhea.
4. Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV)
According to Christopher Schiessl, a doctor at One Medical in the Castro neighborhood of San Francisco, this STI, caused by unusual strains of Chlamydia trachomatis, can cause a "terrible infection."
LGV can first cause a temporary genital pimple, blister, or ulcer, and then invade the body's lymphatic system. Rectal infection can mimic inflammatory bowel disease and lead to chronic and severe abnormalities of the colon and rectum, such as fistulas and strictures.
Over the past decade, LGV has become increasingly common in Europe and North America, and has been associated with multiple disease outbreaks, especially among gay and bisexual men. As with chlamydia, LGV can increase the risk of contracting HIV. Using condoms during vaginal or anal sex can reduce the risk of infection, while treating LGV may require a three-week course of antibiotics, such as doxycycline.
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