Higher Incidence Of Drug-Resistant Staph Infection In Gay Men

A multidrug-resistant bacteria is being transmitted among gay men during sex, warned researchers at the University of San Francisco (UCSF).

The warning is based on a recent study that shows sexually active gay men are 13 times more likely to be infected with the superbug than those in the heterosexual population.

According to the study, the bacteria, a new strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) called USA300, has grown beyond hospital settings in San Francisco, Boston, Los Angeles and New York.   

The study revealed the bacteria are spreading within the gay communities in San Francisco and Boston, said Binh Diep, a researcher at UCSF and first author of the study, in an interview with Reuters.  The incidence is highest in the areas of San Francisco where more male same-sex couples reside.

“We think that it’s spread through sexual activity,” Diep added.

“Once this reaches the general population, it will be truly unstoppable,” Diep said.  

“That’s why we’re trying to spread the message of prevention”

Washing the hands or genitals with soap and water is the best way to avoid infection, Diep said.  

Scientists are particularly concerned because USA300 is becoming resistant to multiple classes of widely used antibiotics, including penicillin, erythromycin, clindamycin, and tetracycline.   Often, a USA300 infection can only be treated with more costly, intravenous antibiotics.

Staph infections are transmitted through human contact, including sexual relations, or through contact with an object or surface where the bacteria reside.

Initially, a staph infection may appear as raised red spots on the skin, which become swollen if not treated.  A deep tissue infection can result when the bacteria enters the body through an opening on the skin, such as a wound.

An estimated 30% of the population carries ordinary staph infections, predominately in their noses.  But the bacteria can also live in and around the anus and become transmitted sexually between partners.

Incidence of MRSA is rising along with the resurgence of syphilis, rectal gonorrhea, and new HIV infections partly because of changes in beliefs about the severity of HIV and an increase in risky behaviors, such as drug use and sex that chafe the skin, Diep and his team reported.  

About 19,000 people in the United States died with MRSA infections in 2005, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.   Many of these deaths occurred in hospital settings.  

The study was recently published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, and can be viewed on the journal’s website.  

—

On the Net:

University of California, San Francisco