Skip to main content
The British Journal of Venereal Diseases logoLink to The British Journal of Venereal Diseases
. 1979 Oct;55(5):375–378. doi: 10.1136/sti.55.5.375

Epidemic of amoebiasis and giardiasis in a biased population.

B H Kean, D C William, S K Luminais
PMCID: PMC1045685  PMID: 228790

Abstract

Of 126 homosexual men in a selected population in New York City, 31.7% were infected with Entamoeba histolytica, 18.3% with Giardia lamblia, and 39.7% with one or both on a single stool examination. Of 5885 clinic and hospital patients examined in the same laboratory by the same methods, 1.3% were infected with E. histolytica, 2.1% with G. lamblia, and 3.3% with one or both. Evidence indicates that an epidemic of intestinal protozoan infection exists in the homosexual male population in New York City. The difficulty in making a diagnosis, inadequate therapy, failure to alert potential victims, and official neglect of the epidemic have combined to create a dangerous situation.

Full text

PDF
377

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bader M., Pedersen A. H., Williams R., Spearman J., Anderson H. Venereal transmission of shigellosis in Seattle-King county. Sex Transm Dis. 1977 Jul-Sep;4(3):89–91. doi: 10.1097/00007435-197707000-00003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Dritz S. K., Ainsworth T. E., Back A., Boucher L. A., Garrard W. F., Palmer R. D., River E. Patterns of sexually transmitted enteric diseases in a city. Lancet. 1977 Jul 2;2(8027):3–4. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(77)90002-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Drusin L. M., Genvert G., Topf-Olstein B., Levy-Zombek E. Shigellosis. Another sexually transmitted disease? Br J Vener Dis. 1976 Oct;52(5):348–350. doi: 10.1136/sti.52.5.348. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Hurwitz A. L., Owen R. L. Venereal transmission of intestinal parasites. West J Med. 1978 Jan;128(1):89–91. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Kazal H. L., Sohn N., Carrasco J. I., Robilotti J. G., Delaney W. E. The gay bowel syndrome: clinico-pathologic correlation in 260 cases. Ann Clin Lab Sci. 1976 Mar-Apr;6(2):184–192. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Kean B. H. The treatment of amebiasis. A recurrent agony. JAMA. 1976 Feb 2;235(5):501–501. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Kean B. H. Venereal amebiasis. N Y State J Med. 1976 Jun;76(6):930–931. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Krogstad D. J., Spencer H. C., Jr, Healy G. R. Current concepts in parasitology. Amebiasis. N Engl J Med. 1978 Feb 2;298(5):262–265. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197802022980507. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Krogstad D. J., Spencer H. C., Jr, Healy G. R., Gleason N. N., Sexton D. J., Herron C. A. Amebiasis: epidemiologic studies in the United States, 1971-1974. Ann Intern Med. 1978 Jan;88(1):89–97. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-88-1-89. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Meyers J. D., Kuharic H. A., Holmes K. K. Giardia lamblia infection in homosexual men. Br J Vener Dis. 1977 Feb;53(1):54–55. doi: 10.1136/sti.53.1.54. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Mildvan D., Gelb A. M., William D. Venereal transmission of enteric pathogens in male homosexuals. Two case reports. JAMA. 1977 Sep 26;238(13):1387–1389. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Most H. Manhattan: "a tropic isle"? Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1968 May;17(3):333–354. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1968.17.333. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Public Health Weekly Reports for FEBRUARY 2, 1934. Public Health Rep. 1934 Feb 2;49(5):141–181. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Schmerin M. J., Gelston A., Jones T. C. Amebiasis. An increasing problem among homosexuals in New York City. JAMA. 1977 Sep 26;238(13):1386–1387. doi: 10.1001/jama.238.13.1386. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Schmerin M. J., Jones T. C., Klein H. Giardiasis: association with homosexuality. Ann Intern Med. 1978 Jun;88(6):801–803. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-88-6-801. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Sohn N., Robilotti J. G., Jr The gay bowel syndrome. A review of colonic and rectal conditions in 200 male homosexuals. Am J Gastroenterol. 1977 May;67(5):478–484. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. William D. C., Felman Y. M., Marr J. S., Shookhoff H. B. Sexually transmitted enteric pathogens in male homosexual population. N Y State J Med. 1977 Nov;77(13):2050–2052. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Wolfe M. S. Giardiasis. N Engl J Med. 1978 Feb 9;298(6):319–321. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197802092980606. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Venereal Diseases are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES