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Stamping Out Syphilis

Can the United States finally vanquish this sexually transmitted disease?

Federal health officials have targeted the spiral bacterium that causes syphilis, which is currently at an all-time low in the United States.

 

References:

1996. Outbreak of primary and secondary syphilis — Baltimore City, Maryland, 1995. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 45(March 1).

Burstein, G.R. . . . J.M. Zenilman, and T.C. Quinn. 1998. Incident Chlamydia trachomatis infections among inner-city adolescent females. Journal of the American Medical Association 280(Aug. 12):521.

Gaydos, C.A. . . . T.C. Quinn. 1998. Chlamydia trachomatis infections in female military recruits. New England Journal of Medicine 339(Sept. 10):739.

Hook, E.W. III. 1998. Is elimination of endemic syphilis transmission a realistic goal for the USA? Lancet 351(Supplement III):19.

St. Louis, M.E., and J.N. Wasserheit. 1998. Elimination of syphilis in the United States. Science 281(July 17):353.

 

Further Readings:

Seppa, N. 1998. Researchers solve syphilis genome. Science News 154(Aug. 1):79.

 

Sources:

Edward W. Hook, III
University of Alabama, Birmingham
Schools of Medicine and Public Health
229 Tinsley Harrison Tower
1800 University Boulevard
Birmingham, AL 35294-0006

Thomas C. Quinn
National Institutes of Health
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Bethesda, MD 20892-2520

Charlie Rabins
Illinois Department of Public Health
525 West Jefferson Street
Springfield, IL 62761

Michael E. St. Louis
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention
Mailstop E-02
Atlanta, GA 30333

John F. Toney
University of South Florida, Tampa
College of Medicine
4202 East Fowler Avenue
Tampa, FL 33620

Judith N. Wasserheit
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention
Mailstop E-02
Atlanta, GA 30333

Jonathan M. Zenilman
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Division of Infectious Diseases
720 Rutland Avenue, Room 1159
Baltimore, MD 21205

From Science News, Vol. 154, No. 13, September 26, 1998, p. 202.
Copyright Ó 1998 by Science Service.

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