Why Syphilis May Soon Become Untreatable

Amid concerns over a new drug-resistant strain, doctors have alerted the public that Syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease (STD), could become impossible to treat with key antibiotics.
This is the findings of a new study published in the journal ‘Nature Microbiology’. Although, Syphilis was once a death sentence, the vast majority of syphilis cases today are curable with penicillin injections.
However, a new study has revealed an aggressive new strain of the infection is more widespread than previously thought – and there are limited ways to control it.
Syphilis is a highly contagious disease spread primarily by sexual activity, including oral and anal sex. Occasionally, the disease can be passed to another person through prolonged kissing or close bodily contact. Although this disease is spread from sores, the vast majority of those sores go unrecognised.
The infected person is often unaware of the disease and unknowingly passes it on to his or her sexual partner. Pregnant women with the disease can spread it to their baby. This disease, called congenital syphilis, can cause abnormalities or even death to the child. Similarly, Syphilis cannot be spread by toilet seats, door knobs, swimming pools, hot tubs, bath tubs, shared clothing, or eating utensils.
Estimates suggest that there were 10.6 million cases worldwide in 2008, with many carrying the disease unaware they are actually infected. Cases of syphilis are common among both heterosexuals and men who have sex with men – but the latter group has been more affected.
There are two common types of syphilis: Nichols and Street Strain 14 (SS14). In an analysis of syphilis samples, researchers by the University of Zurich in Switzerland, found the most common to be SS14-Ω, a subset of SS14.
Alarmingly, 90 per cent of the SS14-Ω samples they analysed were resistant to antibiotics. It was reported that although, scientists have yet to detect any penicillin- resistant strains, the discovery is an ominous sign that it is adapting to modern medicine.
Cases of the chronic bacterial infection have shot up by 71 per cent in England since 2011, according to the latest figures. Syphilis cases are also increasingly more common in the United States, with infections rising 15 per cent between 2013 and 14; and another 19 per cent from 2014 to 2015, according to data issued by the U.S. Centre for Disease Control, CDC. Data obtained from other sources indicate that the disease is also rising in countries such as South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria.
Scientists are unsure just how many of these cases can be put down to the relatively new strain that is growing resistant to key antibiotics. But they said the emergence of a drug-resistant forms could make syphilis, a potentially fatal sexually transmitted infection, STI, even harder to treat.
A study of syphilis infections in 13 countries in 2012 to 2013 shows how a drug resistant strain of the disease is far more widespread than previously thought. SS14-Ω is particularly resistant to the class of antibiotics called macrolides, the researchers from the University of Zurich said.
The possibility that the second-line medication for the disease – used when penicillin injections are not appropriate – might lose their effectiveness has alarmed experts.
Reacting to the development, Lola Stamm, an epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina in the United States, said the findings should serve as a warning to doctors not to oversubscribe antibiotics. “Physicians need to be extremely wary about using macrolide drugs to treat syphilis,” she said.

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Marijuana Can Cause Blindness

Scientists have warned those who indulge in regular use of Cannabis, also known as Marijuana that it could damage eyesight. These findings are published in the ‘Journal of the American Medical Association’.
The small study in France found prolonged marijuana use could wear down retinal ganglion cells, the nerves that sit just behind the retina. A retinal ganglion cell (RGC) is a type of neuron located near the inner surface (the ganglion cell layer) of the retina of the eye.
It receives visual information from photoreceptors via two intermediate neuron types: bipolar cells and retina amacrine cells. These cells are key for transmitting information back to the brain in order to form an image.
The study found people who smoked weed for around six years experienced a delay in neural signals to the brain – even after giving up the drug. The finding complicates scientific understanding on the link between cannabis and vision, since previous studies have shown the drug helps patients with glaucoma, and even improves night vision.
Reacting to the development, Lead Investigator, Dr. Vincent Laprevote, of the Pole Hospitalo-Universitaire de Psychiatrie du Grand Nancy in France, said: “Our findings may be important from a public health perspective since they could highlight the neurotoxic effects of cannabis use on the central nervous system as a result of how it affects retinal processing.
“Independent of debates about its legalisation, it is necessary to gain more knowledge about the different effects of cannabis so that the public can be informed.
“Future studies may shed light on the potential consequences of these retinal dysfunctions for visual cortical processing and whether these dysfunctions are permanent or disappear after cannabis withdrawal.”
The small study involved 52 participants – 28 cannabis users, 24 never users. All of the cannabis users stopped consuming the drug before the trial started, but had been regularly using it for at least six years.
The researchers used a standard electrophysiological measurement called pattern electroretinography (PERG), which involved averaging a high number of responses.
After adjustment for the number of years of education and alcohol use, there was a significant increase for cannabis users of the amount of time it took for the retina to transmit signals to the brain.
There are many known effects on the body when using marijuana. Some of these relate to the eyes while others impact other areas of the body. Studies have found that attention, memory and learning are all impaired by heavy marijuana use, even after stopping the drug for more than 24 hours. Marijuana users also exhibit impaired driving abilities, slower reaction times and difficulty concentrating. Marijuana can also impact perception, making colors appear brighter, etc. When it comes to eyesight marijuana commonly alters peripheral vision. 

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Fresh Fish, Fruit, Vegetables Improve Sperm Health - New Studies

New studies have found that sperm quality is higher among men who eat more fresh fish, fruit and vegetables  and less junk food or red meat.

The quality of sperm was also improved among those who took brisk walks, compared with those who either did little physical activity or went running.

The three papers, presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine in Florida, highlight the importance of the lifestyle of a prospective father as well as that of their female partner in determining hether or not they can have a baby.

In the first study, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health looked at what 188 students ate and drank.

They divided their diets into a "prudent" one characterised by high intake of fish, fruit, vegetables and pulses, and a "western" one full of pizza, red and processed meat, high energy drinks and snacks.

Those with the best diet had 11 per cent more motile sperm - better at swimming towards an egg - than those with the least healthy eating habits.
Lead researcher Audrey Gaskins said: "Motility is most important for couples who want to try to conceive naturally. A small increase could lead to a small increase in fertility."
A separate study at Harvard analysed the diet of 99 men who were already attending a fertility clinic because they and their wives or girlfriends were unable to get pregnant.
Academics found that consumption of Trans Fatty Acids - previously found in many fried fast food joints but now being phased out - was linked to sperm concentration.
Men who took 1.3 per cent of their calories from trans-fats had on average 48million sperm per millilitre of semen, compared with 79m among those who had consumed just 0.7 per cent of their calories in the form of the fat.
Dr Allan Pacey, a fertility expert at the University of Sheffield, commented: "The influence of a man's diet on his semen quality has been of interest for some time.
"For example, there is now good evidence from a variety of studies that men with a higher antioxidant intake have slightly better semen quality and are more likely to become fathers than men who don't. Similarly, there are also studies showing that men who consume key nutrients, ejaculate better sperm.
"Therefore the results of this study, comparing a Western diet with one which is more 'Mediterranean', is not really a surprise and nicely illustrates that a good diet is of benefit when trying to conceive."
A third paper, carried out at the Yamaguchi University School of Medicine in Japan, compared sperm motility among 215 men after analysing how much physical activity they did in an average week.
It found that those who did moderate exercise, such as brisk walking, had better swimming sperm than both those who did little physical activity and those who did strenuous activities.
Dr Pacey said: "There are a number of studies which have examined the relationship between physical exercise and semen quality, often with contradictory results.
"Therefore we have an unclear picture about what effect exercise plays in male fertility, if any.
"We know that obesity and poor diet can reduce sperm production so perhaps in this study we are seeing the positive effects of healthy living as much as we are seeing the benefits of exercise."

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The Effect Of High Blood Pressure On Your Sex Life

High blood pressure often has no signs or symptoms. But the impact on your sex life may be obvious. Although sexual activity is unlikely to pose an immediate threat to your health — such as a heart attack — high blood pressure can affect your overall satisfaction with sex.
A link between high blood pressure and sexual problems is proved in men. For women who have decreased sexual satisfaction, it’s not yet proved that high blood pressure is to blame.
High blood pressure’s effect on sexual problems in women isn’t well-understood. But it’s possible that high blood pressure could affect a woman’s sex life.
High blood pressure can reduce blood flow to the vagina. For some women, this leads to a decrease in sexual desire or arousal, vaginal dryness, or difficulty achieving orgasm. Improving arousal and lubrication can help.
Like men, women can experience anxiety and relationship issues due to sexual dysfunction.
High blood pressure medications that can cause sexual dysfunction as a side effect include:

• Water pills (diuretics): Diuretics can decrease forceful blood flow to the penis, making it difficult to achieve an erection. They can also deplete the body of zinc, which is necessary to make the sex hormone testosterone.
• Beta blockers:These medications, especially older generation beta blockers such as propranolol (Inderal, Innopran XL), are commonly associated with sexual dysfunction.

Natural therapy is not just to lower the blood pressure but to release some biomolecues to the body which check the root cause of increasing blood pressure.  Evidence from researches and alternative medicines have shown that the root cause of high blood pressure can be reversed and consequently eliminate high blood pressure and sexual problems attached to it.

If sexual side effects persist, ask your doctor about other medication options. Some high blood pressure medications are less likely to cause sexual side effects, such as:

• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
• Calcium channel blockers
• Angiotensin II receptor blockers

To help your doctor select the most appropriate medication for you, tell him or her all the other medications you're taking now — including herbal supplements and over-the-counter drugs. Sometimes a particular combination of medications or supplements contributes to sexual problems.
If your doctor says it's OK, you may be able to stop taking blood pressure medications temporarily to see if your sex life improves. To make sure your blood pressure remains within a safe range, you may need frequent blood pressure readings while you're not taking the blood pressure lowering medication that may be causing your sexual difficulties. This can be done with a home blood pressure monitoring device for convenience.

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Advanced HIV Prevention Drug Now Ready For Trial

After countless years of study, scientists announced yesterday that cure for HIV/AIDS has become a reality as trial for HIV prevention drug, Truvada, received approval in England.
NHS England, an executive non-departmental public body (NDPB) of the Department of Health, specifically confirmed that it would fund HIV prevention programme based around pre-exposure prophlyaxis (PrEP) with Gilead’s Truvada.
The announcement follows months of legal wrangling after NHS England axed plans for a national PreP programme, but was last month forced to reconsider after a court challenge from campaigners.
Truvada (emtricitabine+tenofovir) has been shown to have a protective effect, and can in some cases stop HIV becoming established in the body.
More than 10,000 people, most at risk of acquiring HIV will be offered a drug which prevents transmission of HIV after health officials lost a Court of Appeal battle over funding, a report said yesterday.
The report said: “After many years of studies and looking a cure, a drug has been discovered and will be given to the patients by NHS England.
“It is said to have been tried on over 10,000 people, most at risk of acquiring HIV. It will also serve as a way for them to figure out the duration in taking the drug, for them to get the right people and how popular it would be.”
Pre-exposure prophylaxis or PreP is a medicine that should be taken daily which helps in reducing HIV. Apart from saving money, it also helps to stop the infection from spreading in the body. It reduces the high risk of getting the disease from sex and can be lower with the use of condoms and methods for prevention.
The drugs – called PreP – have been described as a ‘game changer’ in the fight against AIDS but dubbed ‘promiscuity pills’ by critics, the report said.
Last month, the Court of Appeal upheld a High Court ruling which said NHS England did have the power to fund the drug despite its pleas that the responsibility lay with local authorities.
Now, the organisation has announced it will fund “a large scale clinical trial” for the drug, also known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, at a cost of up to £10 million.”
So far, studies suggest the anti-retroviral drug, also known as Truvada, can reduce the risk of infection by more than 90 percent.
Health officials said the large trial was needed to work out the best way to ensure take-up of the drug, examine the impact on HIV levels – and whether it increased rates of other sexually transmitted infections.
HIV/AIDS are first observed in the United States in the year 1981. The usual cases are from injection drug users, gay men with no known cause of impaired immunity, which shows symptoms of a rare opportunistic infection that occurs in a much compromised immune system.
Most of the people carrying the disease are not aware that they are infected with the virus. Sexual intercourse is the usual reason and the mode in transmitting HIV. It is present in the seminal fluid which is passed from male to female.
There are two types of HIV, HIV-1, and HIV-2. The first one is very infective that causes the majority of the infections globally. Studies show that HIV-2 is considered as the less infective one.

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Rape In IDPs Camps: Soldiers, Police Officerws, Air Force Officer, others arrested

As the quality of life continues to deteriorate amongst internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the north-east part of Nigeria, revelations coming up from the camps show that uniformed officers sent to protect them are actually the ones spare heading the orgy of sexual assaults against female IDPs. For allegedly raping Internally Displaced Persons, three soldiers, two policemen and a prison official have been arrested.

Arrested alongside the soldiers and policemen for the same offence were one prison official, a member of staff, Borno Ministry of Agriculture and two members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, Borno State.

The officials were accused of involving in sexual exploitation and abuse of IDPs in the North-East.

The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, disclosed this yesterday, in Abuja, adding that if indicted the policemen and other security operatives involved in the alleged crime would be dismissed and prosecuted after investigation.

A Non-Governmental Organisation, Human Rights Watch, had in its report accused camp officials, vigilance groups, soldiers and policemen of engaging in sexual harassment of women and teenagers in IDP camps in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.

A few of the victims told Human Rights Watch that they were drugged and raped while 37 were coerced into sex through false marriage promises, material and financial assistance.

Shocked by the allegations, President Muhammadu Buhari directed the IG and the state governments to carry out a thorough investigation into the alleged incidents.

But responding to questions shortly before the commencement of his monthly conference with senior police officers in Abuja, the IG said the police would liaise with the Army and the Air Force to make their indicted officials available for interrogation.

He said, “From the findings so far, we have succeeded in our investigation. A number of suspects have been arrested and they include two policemen, three army officers, one prison official; one Air Force officer, an employee of the Borno State Ministry of Agriculture and two members of the Civilian JTF.”

Idris stated that the force had put in mechanisms, including the deployment of female police officers to IDP camps in order to check recurrence.

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