Emerson C R, Lynch A, Fox R, Smyth B, Gray S, Dinsmore W W, Maw R D
Royal Victoria Hospital, Grosvenor Road, Belfast BT12 6BA, UK.
Int J STD AIDS. 2007 Jun;18(6):413-7. doi: 10.1258/095646207781024874.
Since the late 1990s, there has been a resurgence of infectious syphilis, with notable outbreaks in Brighton, Manchester, London and Dublin, predominantly among men who have sex with men (MSM). We report a similar outbreak in Northern Ireland. Genitourinary (GU) medicine clinic attendees were assessed from 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2005 to identify those who met the agreed criteria for primary, secondary or early latent syphilis. In total, 161 individuals were diagnosed with syphilis and 121 were MSM. Sixteen individuals indicated a contact in Dublin as the likely source of infection. Thirty were identified through contact tracing. Over half contracted the infection through oral intercourse. Most (106) had one or two partners in the previous three months. Twelve cases were HIV positive (nine were aware of their status at the time of presumed infection). In conclusion, initially, cases acquired their infection in Dublin and, as the outbreak gained momentum, syphilis was contracted within Northern Ireland. The cohort was not generally associated with a high number of sexual contacts, multiple anonymous partners or specific locations. The challenge is to educate both patients and health-care professionals to sexual health issues; specifically, the risk associated with casual oral sex by MSM.
自20世纪90年代末以来，传染性梅毒有所复发，在布莱顿、曼彻斯特、伦敦和都柏林出现了显著疫情，主要发生在男男性行为者（MSM）中。我们报告了北爱尔兰的类似疫情。对2000年7月1日至2005年6月30日期间泌尿生殖科（GU）门诊就诊者进行了评估，以确定那些符合一期、二期或早期潜伏梅毒既定标准的患者。共有161人被诊断为梅毒，其中121人为男男性行为者。16人指出都柏林的一名接触者可能是感染源。通过接触者追踪确定了30人。超过一半的人是通过口交感染的。大多数人（106人）在过去三个月中有一两个性伴侣。12例HIV呈阳性（9例在推测感染时已知自身感染状况）。总之，最初，病例在都柏林感染，随着疫情蔓延，梅毒在北爱尔兰境内传播。该队列人群一般与大量性接触、多个匿名性伴侣或特定场所无关联。挑战在于对患者和医护人员进行性健康问题教育；特别是男男性行为者随意口交相关的风险。
