WEDNESDAY, June 6 (HealthDay News) -- Gonorrhea, the second most common sexually transmitted disease, is rapidly growing resistant to the last class of antibiotics that can effectively treat the infection, the World Health Organization warned Wednesday.
A number of countries, including Australia, France, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom, are reporting cases of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea. The infection can lead to a series of serious health problems for both men and women, including infertility, increased risk of HIV infection, and potentially blinding eye infections in newborns, the WHO said.
Every year some 106 million people around the world are infected with gonorrhea, the U.N. health agency said.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 700,000 people in the United States get new gonorrhea infections each year and less than half of these infections are reported to CDC.
In recommendations released Wednesday, the WHO called for greater oversight on the correct use of antibiotics and more research into alternative treatments for infections. The agency's Global Action Plan also urges increased monitoring and reporting of resistant strains of the disease, as well as better prevention, diagnosis and control of infections.
'Gonorrhea is becoming a major public health challenge, due to the high incidence of infections accompanied by dwindling treatment options,' Dr. Manjula Lusti-Narasimhan, of WHO's Department of Reproductive Health and Research, said in a news release.
'The available data only shows the tip of the iceberg. Without adequate surveillance we won't know the extent of resistance to gonorrhea and without research into new antimicrobial agents, there could soon be no effective treatment for patients,' she added.
Gonorrhea accounts for one quarter of the four major, curable sexually transmitted diseases, WHO noted, and it's the second most common sexually transmitted infection after chlamydia.
Since the development of antibiotics, gonorrhea has developed resistance to a variety of antibiotics, including penicillin and tetracyclines, and appears to be developing resistance to cephalosporins, the last line of drug defense, the agency said.
'We are very concerned about recent reports of treatment failure from the last effective treatment option -- the class of cephalosporin antibiotics --as there are no new therapeutic drugs in development,' Lusti-Narasimhan said. 'If gonococcal infections become untreatable, the health implications are significant.'
Untreated gonorrhea can lead to health problems for men, women and newborns, the WHO said, including: infection of the urethra, cervix and rectum; infertility in both men and women; increased risk of HIV infection and transmission; ectopic pregnancies; miscarriage, stillbirths and premature deliveries; and severe eye infections in up to 50 percent of babies born to women with untreated gonorrhea that can lead to blindness.
Gonorrhea can be prevented through safe sex practices. Early detection and treatment, including of sex partners, is essential to control sexually transmitted diseases, WHO said.
More information
For more on gonorrhea, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Sex bug growing resistant to drugs, WHO warns
GENEVA (AP) - A potentially dangerous sexually transmitted disease that infects millions of people each year is growing resistant to drugs and could soon become untreatable, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.
The U.N. health agency is urging governments and doctors to step up surveillance of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea, a bacterial infection that can cause inflammation, infertility, pregnancy complications and, in extreme cases, lead to maternal death. Babies born to mothers with gonorrhea have a 50 percent chance of developing eye infections that can result in blindness.
'This organism has basically been developing resistance against every medication we've thrown at it,' said Dr. Manjula Lusti-Narasimhan, a scientist in the agency's department of sexually transmitted diseases. This includes a group of antibiotics called cephalosporins currently considered the last line of treatment.
'In a couple of years it will have become resistant to every treatment option we have available now,' she told The Associated Press in an interview ahead of WHO's public announcement on its 'global action plan' to combat the disease.
Lusti-Narasimhan said the new guidance is aimed at ending complacency about gonorrhea and encouraging researchers to speed up their hunt for a new cure.
Once considered a scourge of sailors and soldiers, gonorrhea - known colloquially as the clap - became easily treatable with the discovery of penicillin. Now, it is again the second most common sexually transmitted infection after chlamydia. The global health body estimates that of the 498 million new cases of curable sexually transmitted infections worldwide, gonorrhea is responsible for some 106 million infections annually. It also increases the chances of infection with other diseases, such as HIV.
'It's not a European problem or an African problem, it's really a worldwide problem,' said Lusti-Narasimhan.
Scientists believe overuse of antibiotics, coupled with the gonorrhea bacteria's astonishing ability to adapt, means the disease is now close to becoming a super bug.
Resistance to cephalosporins was first reported in Japan, but more recently has also been detected in Britain, Hong Kong and Norway. As these are all countries with well-developed health systems, it is likely that cephalosporin-resistant strains are also circulating undetected elsewhere.
Therefore the Geneva-based agency wants countries not just to tighten their rules for antibiotic use, but also to improve their surveillance systems so that the full extent of the problem can be determined.
Better sex education is also needed, as proper condom use is an effective means of stopping transmission, said Lusti-Narasimhan.
'We're not going to be able to get rid of it completely,' she said. 'But we can limit the spread.'
This news article is brought to you by MOTORCYCLES - where latest news are our top priority.
The U.N. health agency is urging governments and doctors to step up surveillance of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea, a bacterial infection that can cause inflammation, infertility, pregnancy complications and, in extreme cases, lead to maternal death. Babies born to mothers with gonorrhea have a 50 percent chance of developing eye infections that can result in blindness.
'This organism has basically been developing resistance against every medication we've thrown at it,' said Dr. Manjula Lusti-Narasimhan, a scientist in the agency's department of sexually transmitted diseases. This includes a group of antibiotics called cephalosporins currently considered the last line of treatment.
'In a couple of years it will have become resistant to every treatment option we have available now,' she told The Associated Press in an interview ahead of WHO's public announcement on its 'global action plan' to combat the disease.
Lusti-Narasimhan said the new guidance is aimed at ending complacency about gonorrhea and encouraging researchers to speed up their hunt for a new cure.
Once considered a scourge of sailors and soldiers, gonorrhea - known colloquially as the clap - became easily treatable with the discovery of penicillin. Now, it is again the second most common sexually transmitted infection after chlamydia. The global health body estimates that of the 498 million new cases of curable sexually transmitted infections worldwide, gonorrhea is responsible for some 106 million infections annually. It also increases the chances of infection with other diseases, such as HIV.
'It's not a European problem or an African problem, it's really a worldwide problem,' said Lusti-Narasimhan.
Scientists believe overuse of antibiotics, coupled with the gonorrhea bacteria's astonishing ability to adapt, means the disease is now close to becoming a super bug.
Resistance to cephalosporins was first reported in Japan, but more recently has also been detected in Britain, Hong Kong and Norway. As these are all countries with well-developed health systems, it is likely that cephalosporin-resistant strains are also circulating undetected elsewhere.
Therefore the Geneva-based agency wants countries not just to tighten their rules for antibiotic use, but also to improve their surveillance systems so that the full extent of the problem can be determined.
Better sex education is also needed, as proper condom use is an effective means of stopping transmission, said Lusti-Narasimhan.
'We're not going to be able to get rid of it completely,' she said. 'But we can limit the spread.'
This news article is brought to you by MOTORCYCLES - where latest news are our top priority.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Oregon woman wins $900K; says date gave her herpes
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - An Oregon jury has awarded $900,000 to a woman who claimed a retired dentist infected her with genital herpes, in a rare case in which a dispute over a sexually transmitted disease went to a jury trial.
The 49-year-old woman, who filed the suit under a pseudonym, testified last week that she suffered painful outbreaks and spiraled into depression following a sexual encounter with the 69-year-old man she met through the dating website eHarmony.
'I told the jury he's dangerous, and I believe he is,' said Randall Vogt, the attorney for the woman, who declined to be interviewed.
High-profile lawsuits accusing celebrities of herpes transmission have been in the news for a quarter-century, but such lawsuits remain relatively rare and typically do not go to trial. The award issued Friday is believed to be the largest of its kind in Oregon. A similar 1996 case ended in a $550,000 settlement.
Vogt said the cases are uncommon because they are difficult to prove and typically embarrassing for the claimants. Moreover, it does not make sense to pursue a civil lawsuit unless the defendant has the money to pay a potential judgment.
The retired dentist, whose name was also omitted from the lawsuit, has had herpes since 1991. He testified he did not know he was contagious because he was not experiencing an active outbreak at the time the pair had sex, which was during their fourth date.
Roughly 1 of 6 adults in the United States has genital herpes, and transmission can occur regardless of whether infected persons have visible sores, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The suit alleged negligence and battery. On the question of negligence, the jury found the man 75 percent responsible and the woman 25 percent. The jurors determined the dentist committed battery because he intentionally engaged in an activity that harmed his date.
'We all felt he should have told her,' juror Noah Brimhall told The Oregonian newspaper. 'He had the responsibility to tell her.'
The dentist's attorney, Shawn Lillegren, argued that the woman was negligent because she did not demand that his client wear a condom. He also portrayed the woman as greedy in his closing argument to jurors.
'Go for a million - that's plaintiff's message,' he said, according to The Oregonian. 'God bless America. Go for it. Got some coffee to spill on me?'
Lillegren did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday; it was unknown whether his client is considering an appeal.
Vogt said his client handed the dentist a condom, but he did not wear it and 'the advance overtook her too quickly.'
Later, while the two were lying in bed, the man told the woman he had herpes, Vogt said. She asked him to leave.
The woman received a clean bill of health a few months before having sex with the man on May 25, 2010, and tested positive for herpes less than two weeks later. Vogt said the quick medical test was crucial in proving the case.
Besides suffering from painful outbreaks, Vogt said his client eventually lost a job because of her depression. The viruses that cause herpes are incurable, though symptoms can be managed with medication.
'It made her feel like she needed to isolate herself from society, and she became a recluse,' he said. 'She was interested in finding a husband but pretty much dropped efforts in that direction because of the herpes.'
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The 49-year-old woman, who filed the suit under a pseudonym, testified last week that she suffered painful outbreaks and spiraled into depression following a sexual encounter with the 69-year-old man she met through the dating website eHarmony.
'I told the jury he's dangerous, and I believe he is,' said Randall Vogt, the attorney for the woman, who declined to be interviewed.
High-profile lawsuits accusing celebrities of herpes transmission have been in the news for a quarter-century, but such lawsuits remain relatively rare and typically do not go to trial. The award issued Friday is believed to be the largest of its kind in Oregon. A similar 1996 case ended in a $550,000 settlement.
Vogt said the cases are uncommon because they are difficult to prove and typically embarrassing for the claimants. Moreover, it does not make sense to pursue a civil lawsuit unless the defendant has the money to pay a potential judgment.
The retired dentist, whose name was also omitted from the lawsuit, has had herpes since 1991. He testified he did not know he was contagious because he was not experiencing an active outbreak at the time the pair had sex, which was during their fourth date.
Roughly 1 of 6 adults in the United States has genital herpes, and transmission can occur regardless of whether infected persons have visible sores, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The suit alleged negligence and battery. On the question of negligence, the jury found the man 75 percent responsible and the woman 25 percent. The jurors determined the dentist committed battery because he intentionally engaged in an activity that harmed his date.
'We all felt he should have told her,' juror Noah Brimhall told The Oregonian newspaper. 'He had the responsibility to tell her.'
The dentist's attorney, Shawn Lillegren, argued that the woman was negligent because she did not demand that his client wear a condom. He also portrayed the woman as greedy in his closing argument to jurors.
'Go for a million - that's plaintiff's message,' he said, according to The Oregonian. 'God bless America. Go for it. Got some coffee to spill on me?'
Lillegren did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday; it was unknown whether his client is considering an appeal.
Vogt said his client handed the dentist a condom, but he did not wear it and 'the advance overtook her too quickly.'
Later, while the two were lying in bed, the man told the woman he had herpes, Vogt said. She asked him to leave.
The woman received a clean bill of health a few months before having sex with the man on May 25, 2010, and tested positive for herpes less than two weeks later. Vogt said the quick medical test was crucial in proving the case.
Besides suffering from painful outbreaks, Vogt said his client eventually lost a job because of her depression. The viruses that cause herpes are incurable, though symptoms can be managed with medication.
'It made her feel like she needed to isolate herself from society, and she became a recluse,' he said. 'She was interested in finding a husband but pretty much dropped efforts in that direction because of the herpes.'
This article is brought to you by RELATIONSHIP ADVICE.
Ore. woman wins $900K in lawsuit over herpes claim
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - An Oregon jury has awarded $900,000 to a 49-year-old woman who claimed that a 69-year-old Portland man intentionally gave her a sexually transmitted disease after they met on an online dating website.
The Oregonian reports (http://is.gd/cdR7MI ) that it was the first time that a case of a person suing another for intentionally transmitting genital herpes went to trial in Oregon, according to lawyers. They say similar cases have been settled out of court.
The man testified he didn't know he was contagious. His lawyer argued that she was lying about her sexual history and may have had sex with other men who gave her the disease.
The woman from Beaverton, Ore., sued after she suffered repeated painful outbreaks of the disease. The jury award was for pain and suffering.
___
Information from: The Oregonian, http://www.oregonlive.com
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The Oregonian reports (http://is.gd/cdR7MI ) that it was the first time that a case of a person suing another for intentionally transmitting genital herpes went to trial in Oregon, according to lawyers. They say similar cases have been settled out of court.
The man testified he didn't know he was contagious. His lawyer argued that she was lying about her sexual history and may have had sex with other men who gave her the disease.
The woman from Beaverton, Ore., sued after she suffered repeated painful outbreaks of the disease. The jury award was for pain and suffering.
___
Information from: The Oregonian, http://www.oregonlive.com
This news article is brought to you by SUVS - where latest news are our top priority.
India should tax air tickets to pay for AIDS drugs - U.N.
NEW DELHI, June 5 (AlertNet) - Millions of the world's poorest people could have easier access to life-saving drugs if India introduces an air ticket tax to help fund purchases of cheap medicines for HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, a senior U.N. official said.
UNITAID, a U.N. agency which negotiates for cheap medicines from pharmaceutical manufacturers to treat deadly diseases, is lobbying countries such as India to join its air ticket levy initiative which began in 2006.
Under the program, countries put a nominal amount on the cost of air tickets which funds UNITAID to buy drugs for patients in the developing world. Ten countries have imposed the levy, generating $200 million annually for cheap medicine.
'What we want in India is a similar system by which a very small contribution which is painless to the traveler can be applied to large numbers of travelers,' UNITAID Executive Director Denis Broun told AlertNet in an interview.
'Since air traffic is very high in India, the small amount of levy makes a huge difference to the amount of drugs that we can purchase and the number of poor who can benefit from them.'
HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis kill 4.4 million people each year, UNITAID says. Approximately 14.2 million people are in need of anti-retroviral drugs globally, yet more than half cannot afford them.
India's airlines are reeling under a debt load of $20 billion and lost $2 billion last year, as high fuel prices, a weakening rupee and competition kept fares low and costs high.
But the country boasts the fastest growing air passenger market of major economies with 61 million people traveling last year, and still growing.
'People are saying I am coming at the wrongest possible moment. You hear all these arguments, but they are absolutely bogus. It has no impact on government budgets, airline traffic or the economy.'
WIN-WIN FOR INDIA
Broun, who met civil aviation and health officials, said he was proposing a tax of 10 rupees (18 U.S. cents) on domestic tickets and $1 on international flights. He said discussions were at a very early stage.
Chile charges $1 per ticket as their levy, while Brazil charges $2 for international flights, he said. French passengers pay one euro for domestic and four euros for international tickets.
Mali, Mauritius, Madagascar, Cameroon, Congo, Niger and South Korea had also implemented air-ticket levies, said Broun.
He said it was a win-win situation for India as 80 percent of the drugs bought by UNITAID are from Indian pharmaceutical firms and some of which were for Indian patients.
'It would be a good thing for India. First of all, Indian patients benefit - 35,000 Indian children are treated for HIV using drugs paid for by UNITAID,' he said.
'We buy most of our drugs from India so in a sense what would the tax do? It would go back into the Indian economy into the pharmaceutical sector. So it's difficult to find arguments to say it would be bad.'
(AlertNet is a humanitarian news service run by Thomson Reuters Foundation. Visit http://www.trust.org/alertnet)
(Additional reporting by Anurag Kotoky; Editing by Robert Birsel)
This news article is brought to you by TAXES BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
UNITAID, a U.N. agency which negotiates for cheap medicines from pharmaceutical manufacturers to treat deadly diseases, is lobbying countries such as India to join its air ticket levy initiative which began in 2006.
Under the program, countries put a nominal amount on the cost of air tickets which funds UNITAID to buy drugs for patients in the developing world. Ten countries have imposed the levy, generating $200 million annually for cheap medicine.
'What we want in India is a similar system by which a very small contribution which is painless to the traveler can be applied to large numbers of travelers,' UNITAID Executive Director Denis Broun told AlertNet in an interview.
'Since air traffic is very high in India, the small amount of levy makes a huge difference to the amount of drugs that we can purchase and the number of poor who can benefit from them.'
HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis kill 4.4 million people each year, UNITAID says. Approximately 14.2 million people are in need of anti-retroviral drugs globally, yet more than half cannot afford them.
India's airlines are reeling under a debt load of $20 billion and lost $2 billion last year, as high fuel prices, a weakening rupee and competition kept fares low and costs high.
But the country boasts the fastest growing air passenger market of major economies with 61 million people traveling last year, and still growing.
'People are saying I am coming at the wrongest possible moment. You hear all these arguments, but they are absolutely bogus. It has no impact on government budgets, airline traffic or the economy.'
WIN-WIN FOR INDIA
Broun, who met civil aviation and health officials, said he was proposing a tax of 10 rupees (18 U.S. cents) on domestic tickets and $1 on international flights. He said discussions were at a very early stage.
Chile charges $1 per ticket as their levy, while Brazil charges $2 for international flights, he said. French passengers pay one euro for domestic and four euros for international tickets.
Mali, Mauritius, Madagascar, Cameroon, Congo, Niger and South Korea had also implemented air-ticket levies, said Broun.
He said it was a win-win situation for India as 80 percent of the drugs bought by UNITAID are from Indian pharmaceutical firms and some of which were for Indian patients.
'It would be a good thing for India. First of all, Indian patients benefit - 35,000 Indian children are treated for HIV using drugs paid for by UNITAID,' he said.
'We buy most of our drugs from India so in a sense what would the tax do? It would go back into the Indian economy into the pharmaceutical sector. So it's difficult to find arguments to say it would be bad.'
(AlertNet is a humanitarian news service run by Thomson Reuters Foundation. Visit http://www.trust.org/alertnet)
(Additional reporting by Anurag Kotoky; Editing by Robert Birsel)
This news article is brought to you by TAXES BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Approved Viagra copies flood drugstores in Korea
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean pharmaceutical firms are rushing out generic Viagra copies with names like 'Nurigra' and 'Happigra' to tap into the erectile dysfunction drug market now that a court has ruled in their favor.
Pfizer's patent on Viagra active ingredient sildenafil expired on May 17, since when six local companies, including CJ Cheiljedang and Hanmi Pharm, have released prescription-only generic versions.
A court this week ruled against Pfizer's claim that a 'use patent' barred generic copies from being sold as erectile dysfunction treatments.
Pfizer Korea said it was 'considering options for appeal' and its use patent remains valid until the result of that appeal in announced.
But more pharmaceutical companies are expected to release their own versions, according to a statement by patent regulator Korean Intellectual Property Office.
'In an aging society, people are looking to improve their quality of life and expansion of the (erectile dysfunction drug) market is part of that trend,' said Shin Seoung-pill, a PR representative for CJ Cheiljedang.
As of Thursday, some 19 pharmaceutical firms had received approval for 37 generic Viagra copies from the Korea Food and Drug Administration.
Some of the released generic versions have put their own spin on the 'little blue pill'. Happigra comes in pill or mint-flavored powder form, says maker Samjin Pharmaceuticals. Daewoong Pharma, maker of Nurigra, made the pill triangular and green in answer to consumer suggestions that blue is too recognizable as an impotence drug.
Other competitors touted affordable prices. Hanmi's generic Viagra called 'Pal Pal' costs 5,000 won ($4.25) per 100 mg tablet, or one-third the local over-the-counter price of Viagra, according to the company.
South Korea's erectile dysfunction drug market was worth 103 billion won ($87.27 million) in 2011, according to data provider IMS Health.
The market has grown nine percent or more every year since 2008 and companies estimate the local black market for counterfeit Viagra and other erectile dysfunction drugs matches or exceeds the legitimate market, said one product manager of a generic Viagra maker who requested anonymity.
The trend reflects the country's rapidly changing demographics. South Korea is currently the third youngest population in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development group of developed economies, but will become the second oldest by 2050, according to OECD estimates.
(Reporting By Jung Yoon Lee; Editing by Nick Macfie)
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Pfizer's patent on Viagra active ingredient sildenafil expired on May 17, since when six local companies, including CJ Cheiljedang and Hanmi Pharm, have released prescription-only generic versions.
A court this week ruled against Pfizer's claim that a 'use patent' barred generic copies from being sold as erectile dysfunction treatments.
Pfizer Korea said it was 'considering options for appeal' and its use patent remains valid until the result of that appeal in announced.
But more pharmaceutical companies are expected to release their own versions, according to a statement by patent regulator Korean Intellectual Property Office.
'In an aging society, people are looking to improve their quality of life and expansion of the (erectile dysfunction drug) market is part of that trend,' said Shin Seoung-pill, a PR representative for CJ Cheiljedang.
As of Thursday, some 19 pharmaceutical firms had received approval for 37 generic Viagra copies from the Korea Food and Drug Administration.
Some of the released generic versions have put their own spin on the 'little blue pill'. Happigra comes in pill or mint-flavored powder form, says maker Samjin Pharmaceuticals. Daewoong Pharma, maker of Nurigra, made the pill triangular and green in answer to consumer suggestions that blue is too recognizable as an impotence drug.
Other competitors touted affordable prices. Hanmi's generic Viagra called 'Pal Pal' costs 5,000 won ($4.25) per 100 mg tablet, or one-third the local over-the-counter price of Viagra, according to the company.
South Korea's erectile dysfunction drug market was worth 103 billion won ($87.27 million) in 2011, according to data provider IMS Health.
The market has grown nine percent or more every year since 2008 and companies estimate the local black market for counterfeit Viagra and other erectile dysfunction drugs matches or exceeds the legitimate market, said one product manager of a generic Viagra maker who requested anonymity.
The trend reflects the country's rapidly changing demographics. South Korea is currently the third youngest population in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development group of developed economies, but will become the second oldest by 2050, according to OECD estimates.
(Reporting By Jung Yoon Lee; Editing by Nick Macfie)
This article is brought to you by DATING ADVICE.
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