Skip to main content
PMC home page
Genitourinary Medicine logoLink to Genitourinary Medicine
. 1992 Dec;68(6):366–369. doi: 10.1136/sti.68.6.366

Trends in reported cases of donovanosis in Durban, South Africa.

N O'Farrell 1
PMCID: PMC1194971  PMID: 1487257

Abstract

OBJECTIVE--To investigate recent trends in reported cases of donovanosis (granuloma inguinale) in Durban, South Africa. DESIGN--The annual reports of the Medical Officer of Health for Durban 1958-1988 were reviewed to identify cases of donovanosis, genital ulcer disease (GUD) and new patients with sexually transmitted diseases (STD). A rapid staining technique for the detection of Donovan bodies was introduced in 1988. SETTING--City Health STD Clinic, King Edward VIII Hospital, Durban. RESULTS--An initial peak was identified in men 1969-1974. A second peak was recorded in 1988 when reported cases of donovanosis (313) were the highest since records commenced. Both peaks were unrelated to either increases in the numbers of new attenders with STD or patients with GUD. CONCLUSION--The recent increase in donovanosis in Durban may reflect either a new epidemic or under-reporting of a disease previously diagnosed on clinical grounds. Improved control of donovanosis, a condition sometimes causing extensive GUD, and which has been implicated in HIV-1 transmission in local men, should be targeted in HIV control programmes.

Full text

PDF
366

Selected References

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

  1. Bhagwandeen B. S., Naik K. G. Granuloma venereum (granuloma inguinale) in Zambia. East Afr Med J. 1977 Nov;54(11):637–642. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Coovadia Y. M., Kharsany A., Hoosen A. The microbial aetiology of genital ulcers in black men in Durban, South Africa. Genitourin Med. 1985 Aug;61(4):266–269. doi: 10.1136/sti.61.4.266. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Freinkel A. L. The enigma of granuloma inguinale in South Africa. S Afr Med J. 1990 Mar 17;77(6):301–303. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Lal S., Nicholas C. Epidemiological and clinical features in 165 cases of granuloma inguinale. Br J Vener Dis. 1970 Dec;46(6):461–463. doi: 10.1136/sti.46.6.461. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Latif A. S., Mason P. R., Paraiwa E. The treatment of donovanosis (granuloma inguinale). Sex Transm Dis. 1988 Jan-Mar;15(1):27–29. doi: 10.1097/00007435-198801000-00006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. McELLIGOTT G. L. M. Venereal diseases in the tropics. Br J Vener Dis. 1951 Sep;27(3):122–126. doi: 10.1136/sti.27.3.122. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. O'Farrell N. Doomsday forecasts of the AIDS epidemic--whither Durban? S Afr Med J. 1991 May 4;79(9):566–566. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. O'Farrell N., Hoosen A. A., Coetzee K. D., van den Ende J. Genital ulcer disease in men in Durban, South Africa. Genitourin Med. 1991 Aug;67(4):327–330. doi: 10.1136/sti.67.4.327. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. O'Farrell N., Hoosen A. A., Coetzee K. D., van den Ende J. Genital ulcer disease in women in Durban, South Africa. Genitourin Med. 1991 Aug;67(4):322–326. doi: 10.1136/sti.67.4.322. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. O'Farrell N., Hoosen A. A., Coetzee K. D., van den Ende J. Sexual behaviour in Zulu men and women with genital ulcer disease. Genitourin Med. 1992 Aug;68(4):245–248. doi: 10.1136/sti.68.4.245. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. O'Farrell N., Hoosen A. A., Coetzee K., van den Ende J. A rapid stain for the diagnosis of granuloma inguinale. Genitourin Med. 1990 Jun;66(3):200–201. doi: 10.1136/sti.66.3.200. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. O'Farrell N., Windsor I., Becker P. HIV-1 infection among heterosexual attenders at a sexually transmitted diseases clinic in Durban. S Afr Med J. 1991 Jul 6;80(1):17–20. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Osoba A. O. Sexually transmitted diseases in tropical Africa. A review of the present situation. Br J Vener Dis. 1981 Apr;57(2):89–94. doi: 10.1136/sti.57.2.89. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Rosen T., Tschen J. A., Ramsdell W., Moore J., Markham B. Granuloma inguinale. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1984 Sep;11(3):433–437. doi: 10.1016/s0190-9622(84)70186-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Veen J. Granuloma inguinale in Botswana. Trop Geogr Med. 1979 Jun;31(2):309–310. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Vogel L. C., Richens J. Donovanosis in Dutch South New Guinea: history, evolution of the epidemic and control. P N G Med J. 1989 Sep;32(3):203–218. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. WILLCOX R. R. Prevalence of venereal diseases in British West Africa. West Afr Med J. 1956 Sep;5(3):103–111. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Genitourinary Medicine are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES