A rare STD that causes flesh-eating ulcers on a person’s genitalia has reportedly cropped up in England.
News of the disease first arose after an unnamed female patient, who lives in Southport and is between the ages of 15 and 25, was reportedly diagnosed within the last 12 months with the rare condition known as donavanosis.
The disease is generally seen in places like India, New Guinea, central Australia, southern Africa, and parts of the Caribbean, according to Fox News. It is spread through sexual intercourse with an infected individual or through coming into contact with a infected ulcer.
Details about the unknown woman’s case were first revealed following a Freedom of Information request submitted by chemist-4-u.com. Pharmacist Shamir Patel told the Lancashire Post the infection “can be treated with antibiotics,” but if it’s not addressed quickly, the uncommon STD “could cause the flesh around the genitals to literally rot away.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) described the disease as “painless,” noting it causes progressive ulcerative lesions on the genitals or the perineum, often resulting in severe bleeding. Those diagnosed with the STD are also prone to extra-genital infections, often in the pelvic area, intra-abdominal organs, bones, or mouth.
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With treatment, it takes between six and 18 months before an infected person is safe from relapse.
According to the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, no cases of donovanosis have ever before appeared in the United Kingdom.