Prevalence of chlamydial infection in promiscuous women

Patterns of Genital Tract Mustelid Gammaherpesvirus 1 (Musghv-1) Reactivation Are Linked to Stressors in European Badgers (Meles Meles)

Gammaherpesvirus reactivation can promote diseases or impair reproduction. Understanding reactivation patterns and associated risks of different stressors is therefore important. Nevertheless, outside the laboratory or captive environment, studies on the effects of stress on gammaherpesvirus reactivation in wild mammals are lacking. Here we used Mustelid gammaherpesvirus 1 (MusGHV-1) infection in European badgers (Meles meles) as a host-pathogen wildlife model to study the effects of a variety of demographic, physiological and environmental stressors on virus shedding in the genital tract. We collected 251 genital swabs from 150 free-ranging individuals across three seasons and screened them for the presence of MusGHV-1 DNA using PCR targeting the DNA polymerase gene. We explored possible links between MusGHV-1 DNA presence and seven variables reflecting stressors, using logistic regression analysis. The results reveal different sets of risk factors between juveniles and adults, likely reflecting primary infection and reactivation. In adults, virus shedding was more likely in badgers in poorer body condition and younger than 5 years or older than 7; while in juveniles, virus shedding is more likely in females and individuals in better body condition. However, living in social groups with more cubs was a risk factor for all badgers. We discuss possible explanations for these risk factors and their links to stress in badgers.

Implications of inflammatory changes on cervical cytology

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Sexually transmitted diseases: an epidemic in adolescent girls?

The prevalence of sexually transmitted disease (STD) in adolescent girls aged 15-19 attending a department of genitourinary medicine was compared for the years 1972 and 1982. Data were obtained from the confidential register using the coding of the clinic returns to the Department of Health (form SBH 60). There were 1373 patients in 1972 and 1799 in 1982, 6.4% and 7% respectively of the total female clinic population. The prevalence of syphilis, gonorrhoea, and infection with Trichomonas vaginalis, herpes simplex virus, and warts was almost unchanged. Other conditions, which are not classified as STD, were largely responsible for the increase in new attendances, the prevalence of these conditions having nearly doubled over the ten year period. Thus an epidemic of STD has not been shown in this adolescent female population over the past decade.