Incidence of sexually transmitted diseases in Hokkaido, Japan, 1998 to 2001

Estimating nationwide cases of sexually transmitted diseases in 2015 from sentinel surveillance data in Japan

Background

The rates of newly diagnosed cases of sexually transmitted diseases, including genital chlamydial infection and gonorrhea, are important for prevention and control of these diseases. However, nationwide rates are not reported in Japan.

Methods

We used the number of cases of sexually transmitted diseases reported by nationwide sentinel surveillance in 2015, together with the number of all disease outpatients in September 2014 at all medical institutions, drawn from the Survey of Medical Institutions of Japan. The number of cases of sexually transmitted diseases in the total population was estimated using the ratio estimation method with the number of all disease outpatients as auxiliary information. This method is currently used for estimating influenza cases from sentinel surveillance data in Japan.

Results

The estimated number of newly diagnosed cases per 100,000 population in 2015 in Japan was 244 (95% confidence interval 211–277) for genital chlamydial infection, 87 (95% confidence interval 74–100) for genital herpes, 61 (95% confidence interval 29–93) for condyloma acuminatum, and 89 (95% confidence interval 64–113) for gonorrhea.

Conclusion

We estimated the nationwide number of newly diagnosed cases of sexually transmitted diseases in Japan from sentinel surveillance data. This provides useful information for public health policy-making.

Disseminated gonococcal infection in Japan: a case report and literature review

Disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI) is quite a rare condition, especially in the Japanese population; only 10 cases have been reported in case notes and minutes. We describe a man in which Neisseria gonorrhoeae was suspected to have infected the patient through his pharynx. He developed chills, fever, tonsillitis, papules, tenosynovitis and migratory polyarthralgia without genitourinary symptoms. After conducting a literature review, we suggest that being male is a possible risk factor and that blood culture can be used for diagnosing DGI in Japan. DGI should be considered as a diagnosis for patients with fever, dermatitis and joint pain in Japan.

Detection of Mycoplasma genitalium, Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum, and Ureaplasma parvum DNAs in urine from asymptomatic healthy young Japanese men

The aim of this study was to estimate the detection rates of Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma, which are presumptive causes of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), in young men in Sapporo, Japan. In addition, we examined the associations among Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma, and Ureaplasma. A survey of 100 asymptomatic healthy male volunteers was carried out. C. trachomatis, Mycoplasma genitalium, Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum, and Ureaplasma parvum in first-voided urine specimens were detected by polymerase chain reaction assay. Detection rates were 1% for M. genitalium, 4% for M. hominis, 12% for U. urealyticum, and 23% for U. parvum. C. trachomatis was detected in 6% of samples. No M. hominis, U. urealyticum, or U. parvum was detected simultaneously in any sample positive for C. trachomatis. The detection rate of urinary M. genitalium was extremely low, which is similar to previous reports from Japan. The detection rates of urethral U. urealyticum and U. parvum were significantly related to sexual activity. We need to determine whether these pathogens have a role in the sexual transmission of disease or just in colonization.

Incidence of sexually transmitted infections in asymptomatic healthy young Japanese men

The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence rates of asymptomatic sexually transmitted infections (STI) in young men in Sapporo, Japan. A survey of 204 healthy male volunteers was conducted. First-voided urine specimens were used for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae with polymerase chain reaction assay, and cotton swab wiping of the external genitalia was used for detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) with the Hybrid Capture method. The incidence rates were 3.4% for C. trachomatis and 5.9% for HPV. No N. gonorrhoeae was detected. In sexually active men who had regular sexual intercourse, the detection rate of C. trachomatis was 4.7% and that of HPV was 8.0%. Our study showed that the incidence rates of asymptomatic STIs were not negligible, and that we should provide screening programs for young men with a high risk for such unrecognized infections and study their natural histories.