Aakancha Shaw, St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata
According to the research done by an OU Hudson College of the public health faculty working in conjunction with colleagues in Denmark, a new type of bacterial spreading method has been found. The infection caused by campylobacter is one of the most common foodborne illnesses in the western world it has recently been discovered that the infection can also spread through sexual contact. The research has been published in a Journal by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention named emerging infectious deleted and it is regarded as the first known study to prove this method of transmission for campylobacter during these times when the coronavirus has dominated the news about infectious diseases this research is a gentle reminder that many other pathogens existing around the world can affect our lives. The study was led by infectious disease epidemiologist and assistant professor in the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology in the OU Hudson College of Public Health – Katrin Kuhn, Ph.D.
Although the infection caused by campylobacter is not very much serious it causes diarrhoea which can result in loss of productivity from people’s life. It also poses an additional risk for people with underlying health conditions. This research was important for public health and physicians as they converse with their patients about risks that are associated with sexual contact. Campylobacter infections are usually caused when people consume chicken that has not been cooked properly or when juices from uncooked poultry enter into some other food. Infections can also be caused by consuming unpasteurized milk or water that is contaminated by the excreta of infected animals. However, in the experiment, these did not account for all cases of infection and this made the scientists wonder if there was another route of transmission that was not known. An outbreak of campylobacter infections in the northern part of Europe among men who had intercourse prompted the researchers to study that population of people in Denmark. The study showed that the rate of Campylobacter infection was about 14 times higher in men who had intercourse as compared to men who did not hence the results are relevant to people of any sexual orientation who engage in sexual behaviour that may involve faecal or oral contact. Another reason why scientists believed that campylobacter might spread through sexual contact is that a small number of bacteria can cause the infection. Campylobacter infections are more relevant than the statistics show. For every person who is diagnosed it is considered by the epidemiologists that 20 more people are affected. Although treatment is required for extremely severe cases but for people who have compromised immune systems, complications can occur.
There are many infections like the infection caused by campylobacter that have the potential to make people sick and we must focus on the fact that these diseases exist and continued research is done on their effects and mode of transmission.
Also read: LOXHD1: A gene crucial for understanding hereditary deafness
Source: Kuhn K, Hvass A, Christiansen A, Ethelberg S, Cowan S. Sexual Contact as Risk Factor for Campylobacter Infection, Denmark. Emerg Infect Dis. 2021;27(4):1133-1140. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2704.202337 https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/27/4/20-2337_article
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