{"id":38358,"date":"2014-01-30T10:55:04","date_gmt":"2014-01-30T10:55:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=d08fcebf4f905cbd8728bd9e92261cf2"},"modified":"2014-01-30T10:55:04","modified_gmt":"2014-01-30T10:55:04","slug":"press-release-shigella-dysentery-on-the-rise-among-gay-and-bisexual-men","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=38358","title":{"rendered":"Press release: Shigella dysentery on the rise among gay and bisexual men"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"govspeak\">\n<p>A new campaign to warn gay and bisexual men about the risk of Shigella dysentery is being launched today by Public Health England (<abbr title=\"Public Health England\">PHE<\/abbr>) in partnership with Terrence Higgins Trust (<abbr title=\"Terrence Higgins Trust\">THT<\/abbr>), as new figures show a surge in cases likely to have been sexually-acquired over the past 12 months. In the UK, \u2018Shigella flexneri\u2019 usually affects similar numbers of men and women and is linked with overseas travel, but 2013 data show an excess of more than 200 cases of the infection in men with no or unknown travel history, compared to women. London is most affected.<\/p>\n<p>Shigella is a serious gut infection causing severe, prolonged diarrhoea and stomach cramps. Among gay and bisexual men, Shigella is usually passed on through the faecal-oral route during sex, either directly or via unwashed hands &#8211; only a tiny amount of bacteria can spread the infection. Symptoms often develop around 1 to 3 days after sex, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>frequent and explosive diarrhoea lasting more than 48 hours<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>stomach cramps<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>feeling feverish with flu like symptoms<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>some people report vomiting<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>feeling weak and tired (accompanying the gastrointestinal symptoms)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Men experiencing Shigella symptoms are advised to visit their <abbr title=\"General practitioner (family doctor)\">GP<\/abbr> or a clinic, specifically mentioning Shigella and requesting a stool sample test. The infection is treatable with antibiotics. Risk of infection can be reduced by avoiding oral contact with faeces during sex and washing hands thoroughly and showering after sex.<\/p>\n<p>Interviews with gay and bisexual men who caught the infection through sex found links to high numbers of partners, often met anonymously online or at sex parties. For many, using drugs, such as mephedrone, methamphetamine (crystal meth), ketamine and GBL, before or during sex led to lowered inhibitions and riskier sex.  Worryingly, 1 in 3 men using these drugs had injected them (known as \u2018slamming\u2019). Most of the men interviewed had not heard of Shigella before and thought they had food poisoning. <\/p>\n<p>One of the men interviewed, who got Shigella through anal-oral sex (\u2018rimming\u2019), said: <\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"last-child\">Getting Shigella was the lowest point in my life. I suffered uncontrollable bloody diarrhoea with severe stomach cramps. The ferocity of symptoms and dehydration headaches made me think I was going to die. Initially I blamed it on a bad curry and held off visiting my <abbr title=\"General practitioner (family doctor)\">GP<\/abbr> for a week, but really wish I had gone straight away. Although it was treatable with antibiotics, the illness cost me a fortune as I had to take 6 weeks off work on statutory sick pay.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>As part of the awareness campaign, posters and leaflets are being distributed in nightclubs, saunas and other gay venues, plus sexual health clinics, highlighting the symptoms of Shigella, how it is transmitted and how to avoid it.<\/p>\n<p>Dr Gwenda Hughes, Head of <abbr title=\"Sexually transmitted infection\">STI<\/abbr> surveillance at <abbr title=\"Public Health England\">PHE<\/abbr>, said: <\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"last-child\">Shigella is on the rise, so it is vital gay and bisexual men know about it and how to avoid getting it. We\u2019re also seeing increasing <abbr title=\"Human immunodeficiency virus\">HIV<\/abbr> and gonorrhoea diagnoses among gay and bisexual men in the UK \u2013 indeed, most of the men with Shigella had been diagnosed with other <abbr title=\"Sexually transmitted infections\">STIs<\/abbr> including <abbr title=\"Human immunodeficiency virus\">HIV<\/abbr>. This is a reminder how important it is to use a condom when having sex with casual and new partners.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Cary James, Head of Health Improvement at <abbr title=\"Terrence Higgins Trust\">THT<\/abbr>, said: <\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"last-child\">Although on paper the number of documented cases of Shigella are quite small, the concern is that not all cases are being reported. Men with symptoms who haven\u2019t heard of Shigella before might assume it\u2019s a particularly bad case of food poisoning. However, the infection can be dangerous, even more so if you\u2019re already living with <abbr title=\"Human immunodeficiency virus\">HIV<\/abbr> or Hepatitis C. We would urge anyone who is experiencing symptoms, or who\u2019s concerned they may have been at risk, to call our free helpline <abbr title=\"Terrence Higgins Trust\">THT<\/abbr> Direct or visit the <a rel=\"external\" href=\"http:\/\/www.tht.org.uk\/shigella\"><abbr title=\"Terrence Higgins Trust\">THT<\/abbr> website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Dr Hughes continued: <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Shigella awareness campaign is part of a broader commitment to helping improve the health of gay and bisexual men, including exploring the links between health and drug use. The level of injecting drug use is a particular concern as we know that this puts men at greatly increased risk of blood-borne viruses such as <abbr title=\"Human immunodeficiency virus\">HIV<\/abbr> and Hepatitis C.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Individuals worried about Shigella or their drug use can find out more on the <a rel=\"external\" href=\"http:\/\/www.tht.org.uk\/shigella\"><abbr title=\"Terrence Higgins Trust\">THT<\/abbr> website<\/a> \u2013 including finding a local service to visit for further advice.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"ends\">Ends<\/h2>\n<h2 id=\"shigella-information\">Shigella information<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>Shigella is a severe bacterial gut infection. Infected people can spread the infection to others by direct physical contact or indirectly by contaminating food. Gay and bisexual men are particularly at risk. It is very infectious and can be transmitted through small amounts of faeces getting into the mouth during sex, either directly or via unwashed hands. It is easily treated with antibiotics.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Anyone who thinks they may have Shigella should visit a <abbr title=\"General practitioner (family doctor)\">GP<\/abbr> or sexual health clinic. Tell the doctor or nurse that you may have acquired Shigella through recent sex with men and that Public Health England advice states: You need a stool test for Shigella and may need antibiotics. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Sexual orientation is not routinely collected for cases of Shigella in England and Wales. However, we are able to estimate possible numbers of gay and bisexual men that acquired \u2018Shigella flexneri\u2019 sexually in England and Wales by comparing the number of adult male cases with no or unknown travel with adult females with no or unknown travel. In 2009 there was an excess of 43 adult males cases in England and Wales with no or unknown travel, by 2012 this had risen to 172 and to date in 2013 there have already been 224 cases.  <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Gay and bisexual men can reduce the risk of getting <abbr title=\"Human immunodeficiency virus\">HIV<\/abbr> or an <abbr title=\"Sexually transmitted infection\">STI<\/abbr> by:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>always using a condom when having sex with casual and new partners<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>avoiding overlapping and reducing the number of sexual partners<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>if having unprotected sex with casual or new partners, getting an <abbr title=\"Human immunodeficiency virus\">HIV<\/abbr>\/<abbr title=\"Sexually transmitted infection\">STI<\/abbr> screen at least annually, and every 3 months if changing partners regularly<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"note-to-editors\">Note to Editors<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>A <abbr title=\"Public Health England\">PHE<\/abbr> letter published in \u2018The Lancet\u2019, (Vol 381, Issue 9875) reported the findings of in-depth interviews with men with Shigella. This letter is available from the <a rel=\"external\" href=\"http:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/journals\/lancet\/article\/PIIS0140-6736(13)60882-X\/fulltext\">Lancet website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Download <a rel=\"external\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hpa.org.uk\/Topics\/InfectiousDiseases\/InfectionsAZ\/Shigella\/\">Shigella campaign materials (poster and leaflet)<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><abbr title=\"Public Health England\">PHE<\/abbr> data for the UK show a 37%  increase in gonorrhoea diagnoses among men who have sex with men (<abbr title=\"men who have sex with men\">MSM<\/abbr>) between 2011 and 2012. <abbr title=\"Human immunodeficiency virus\">HIV<\/abbr> diagnoses among <abbr title=\"men who have sex with men\">MSM<\/abbr> have been rising steadily over the last decade and in 2011, the number of new diagnoses among <abbr title=\"men who have sex with men\">MSM<\/abbr> surpassed the number in heterosexuals in the UK for the first time since 1999. After adjusting for missing data, there were 3,250 new diagnoses among men who have sex with men (<abbr title=\"men who have sex with men\">MSM<\/abbr>) in 2012, the highest number ever reported, and a 10% increase from 2960 in 2011. In London, this increase was 14% with 1,400 diagnoses in 2011 and 1,600 in 2012.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>For more information on <a rel=\"external\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hpa.org.uk\/Topics\/InfectiousDiseases\/InfectionsAZ\/HIVAndSTIs\/\"><abbr title=\"Human immunodeficiency virus\">HIV<\/abbr> and <abbr title=\"Sexually transmitted infection\">STI<\/abbr> data<\/a> visit <abbr title=\"Public Health England\">PHE<\/abbr>\u2019s dedicated web pages.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Public Health England\u2019s mission is to protect and improve the nation\u2019s health and to address inequalities through working with national and local government, the NHS, industry and the voluntary and community sector. <abbr title=\"Public Health England\">PHE<\/abbr> is an operationally autonomous executive agency of the Department of Health. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/organisations\/public-health-england\">www.gov.uk\/phe<\/a> Follow us on Twitter @PHE_uk<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"contact postal-address\" id=\"contact_1107\">\n<div class=\"content\">\n<h3>Infections press office<\/h3>\n<div class=\"vcard contact-inner\">\n<p class=\"adr\">\n<span class=\"fn\"><abbr title=\"Public Health England\">PHE<\/abbr> press office &#8211; infections<\/span><br \/><span class=\"street-address\">61 Colindale Avenue<\/span><br \/><span class=\"locality\">London<\/span><br \/><span class=\"postal-code\">NW9 5EQ<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"email-url-number\">\n<p class=\"email\">\n              <span class=\"type\">Email<\/span><br \/>\n              <a class=\"email\" href=\"mailto:infections-pressoffice@phe.gov.uk\">infections-pressoffice@phe.gov.uk<\/a>\n            <\/p>\n<p class=\"tel\">\n              <span class=\"type\">Phone<\/span><br \/>\n              020 8327 7901\n            <\/p>\n<p class=\"tel\">\n              <span class=\"type\">Out of hours<\/span><br \/>\n              020 8200 4400\n            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>PHE raising awareness of Shigella infection risk among gay and bisexual men in England.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38358"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=38358"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38358\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=38358"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=38358"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=38358"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}