Are Enteric Infections Sexually Transmitted in British Columbia?

Overview

Journal Can Commun Dis Rep

Specialties Infectious Diseases
Public Health

Date 2018 May 18

PMID 29770000

Citations 6

Authors

S Narayan

E Galanis

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Enteric infections may on occasion be sexually transmitted, particularly among people who engage in oral-anal sexual contact. Although outbreaks of enteric infections have been reported among men who have sex with men (MSM) in British Columbia (BC), the epidemiology of sexually transmitted enteric infections has never been assessed.

Objective: To describe the epidemiology of enteric infections in BC to determine if sexual transmission may be occurring.

Methods: A descriptive analysis was conducted of all reported cases of shigellosis, amebiasis and giardiasis in BC for the period 2003-2012.

Results: For shigellosis and amebiasis, there was a high male-to-female ratio and a higher rate of infection in males aged 20-59 years as compared to all other age-sex groups. Additionally, for shigellosis, adult males were significantly more likely than females to acquire disease locally (RR 1.9; CI 1.7--.4).

Conclusion: Analysis suggests that sexual transmission of enteric infections, particularly shigellosis and amebiasis, may be occurring in MSM in BC. Further studies are indicated.

Citing Articles

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