ARCHIVED - Infectious Diseases News Brief - February 11, 2011

Stemming the spread of STDs - Sexual health clinic expanded to handle the rising number of cases of infection

Sexually transmitted diseases are rising dramatically in Ottawa, and the clinic at 179 Clarence St. was stretched to capacity, turning away about 45 people every month. Last year, the clinic saw 1,500 people a month, compared with 1,300 in 2006. Even after streamlining the process for assessing and treating patients by need, "we were still turning people away," said Dr. Vera Etches, an associate medical officer of health in Ottawa. "We realized we could create more space to see more people." Ottawa has the highest occurrence of chlamydia in Ontario and rates of HIV in the city are 33 per cent higher than anywhere else in the province. Gonorrhea and syphilis rates are rising drastically, especially among youth aged 15 to 24. Etches was careful to point out more people visiting the clinic means more diagnoses. "Part of it is that people are getting tested more, we're detecting more," she said. "But beyond that, people are having more sexual partners, they're not using condoms all the time, and that's how the infection spreads." The spike in STD transmissions is a major reason why Ottawa Public Health is seeking an 11 per cent hike in its budget, asking for $795,000 specifically to fight infectious diseases. In the United States, STDs other than chlamydia have been steadily declining. In Ontario, STD rates are on the rise, although Ottawa's statistics are particularly disturbing.

Source: Ottawa Citizen 5 February 2011
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/Sexual+health+clinic+expanded+handle+rising+number+cases/4228762/story.html

Risk Factors for Cryptococcus gattii Infection, British Columbia, Canada

To determine whether particular environmental, medical, or behavioral risk factors existed among Cryptcoccus gattii–infected persons compared with the general population, the researchers conducted a sex-matched case–control study on a subset of case-patients in British Columbia (1999–2001). Exposures and underlying medical conditions among all case-patients (1999–2007) were also compared with results of provincial population–based surveys and studies. In case–control analyses, oral steroids (matched odds ratio [MOR] 8.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.74–37.80), pneumonia (MOR 2.71, 95% CI 1.05–6.98), and other lung conditions (MOR 3.21, 95% CI 1.08–9.52) were associated with infection. In population comparisons, case-patients were more likely to be >50 years of age (p<0.001), current smokers (p<0.001), infected with HIV (p<0.001), or have a history of invasive cancer (p<0.001). Although C. gattii is commonly believed to infect persons with apparently healthy immune systems, several immunosuppressive and pulmonary conditions seem to be risk factors.

Source: Emerging Infectious Diseases February 2011, volume 17, number 2
http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/17/2/193.htm