Sexual Scares: The Flesh Eating STI You Haven’t Heard of Just in Time for Halloween

by DAISY THOMAS

Nobody:

The Utah Bee: Ever wake up one day after dreaming you were in a localized Outbreak, complete with Dustin Hoffman and the monkey, wondering just how many flesh-eating diseases are out there in the world, only to end up traveling multiple wikipedia wormholes, and way too much knowledge of cutaneous conditions? 

Turns out, there’s a bunch -- and I don’t recommend Google Image Searching; but one in particular is making headlines. Donovanosis, not to be confused with being a superfan of our Jazz superstar,  is a genital ulcerative disease caused by a bacterium known as Klebsiella granulomatis. Per the Centers for Disease Control, the disease is “characterized as painless, slowly progressive ulcerative lesions on the genitals or perineum without regional lymphadenopathy; subcutaneous granulomas (pseudo buboes) also might occur. The lesions are highly vascular (i.e., beefy red appearance) and can bleed. Extragenital infection can occur with infection extension to the pelvis, or it can disseminate to intra-abdominal organs, bones, or the mouth. The lesions also can develop secondary bacterial infection and can coexist with other sexually transmitted pathogens.”

The rare disease, found predominantly in India, South American, and South Africa, (although cases are beginning to increase in England and Australia), is treatable with a three-week course of antibiotics, although relapse may occur over the following eighteen-months.

Finally, something to contribute to r/skincareaddiction. 

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