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Click here for MMWR home page. Synopsis September 10, 1999
Resurgent Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Disease Among Men Who Have Sex with Men King
County, Washington, 1997-1999 |
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| PRESS CONTACT: Office of Communications CDC, National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention (404) 639-8895 |
This article documents increases in syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia among men who have sex with men (MSM) in King County, WA, which includes Seattle. By 1996, infectious syphilis had been eliminated from King County. However, a resurgence of syphilis occurred over the last 2 years, especially among MSM. Reported cases increased from zero in 1996 to 19 in 1997, 42 in 1998, and 46 in the first half of 1999. MSM accounted for 75 (85% of cases) in 1998 and 1999. Similar increases were reported in gonorrhea and chlamydia rates among MSM attending public clinics. From 1997 to June 1999, 75% of MSM with syphilis and 18% of those with gonorrhea and chlamydial infections were infected with HIV highlighting the close link between STDs and the sexual transmission of HIV. |
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Inadvertent Use of Bicillin C-R for Treatment of Syphilis Maryland, 1998 The medication used for the treatment of syphilis is easily confused with other penicillin products. |
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| PRESS CONTACT: Office of Communications CDC, National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention (404) 639-8895 |
Three benzathine penicillin G-containing products are currently available in the United States: Bicillin L-A, Bicillin C-R and Bicillin C-R 900/300. Only Bicillin L-A is indicated for the treatment of syphilis. Due to the similarities in proprietary name, packaging, and labeling, Bicillin C-R and Bicillin L-A may easily be confused. A public clinic in Maryland inadvertently used Bicillin C-R for the treatment of patients with syphilis in the first 9 months in 1998. As many as 63 clients might have received Bicillin C-R, including 5 pregnant women. Although no definite treatment failures nor cases of congenital syphilis were identified, re-treatment of patients disrupted routine public health functions and incurred unnecessary discomfort of patients. A survey of the managers of 55 state and city-level sexually transmitted diseases (STD) program areas revealed that similar mix-ups occurred in at least five other program areas during 1993-99. |
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