Archive of "New strains of VD found in S’pore", The Straits Times, 29 April 1986

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New strains of VD found in S’pore

By KONG SOOK CHIN

Diseases resist usual treatment

NEW varieties of gonorrhoea which are resistant to conventional treatment are surfacing here.

As many as one-third of the 8.115 gonorrhoea cases reported here last year were of the new varieties.

The number could well be higher, as there are doctors in private practice who do not report every case of sexually-transmitted disease they treat.

Increased sexual promiscuity, self medication with antibiotics and more travel by land, air and sea are some of the factors responsible for more new strains of gonorrhoea, said Dr Tulip Tan, Medical Director of the Middle Road Hospital.

He was presenting a paper yesterday on the control of Aids (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) and other sexually-transmitted diseases at s World Health Organisation regional seminar at Novotel Orchid Inn.

The new strains of gonorrhoea are resistant to treatment with penicillin and ampidllln. the drugs usually used to combat the disease. Therefore, doctors have to come up with new courses of treatment.

Although on the decline over the past five years, gonorrhoea is still the moat significant sexually-transmitted disease in Singapore and accounts for more than half of such <hs- It affects both men and women and can cause blindness in babies of infected mothers Another significant sexually-transmitted disease is non-specific urethritis, a term used for urinary tract infection not due to

Middle Road Hospital handles about 600 such cases a year. A higher number Is treated by the private sector. Dr Tan

A form of the disease Is chlamydia, which accounts for one-third of non-specif- I lc urethritis cases. It can cause infertility and blind ness in babies of infected mothers.

Dr Tan said it might reach epidemic proportion In South-east Asia unless control programmes are carried out

The Middle Road Hospital treated more than 1,100 cases of syphilis and more than 900 genital herpes in Mi

Dr Tan said the highest incidence of sexually-transmitted diseases was among young adults between 18 and 90. The most number of cases treated involved people between 15 and 35.

The six-day seminar, hasted by the Health Min istry, was opened by Dr Chew Chin Hin, the ministry's Deputy Director of Medical Services (Hospitals).

It attracted 20 participants from 16 countries and experts from Switzerland. Australia, Japan and the United States. The seminar ends on Saturday.

=See also=
 * Archive of "Three in S’pore found with Aids-linked virus", The Straits Times, 10 April 1985
 * Archive of "Aids virus: Doctor who 'found it'", The Sunday Times, 14 April 1985
 * Archive of "A chance to be ahead in medicine", The Singapore Monitor, 16 April 1985
 * Archive of "Aids on ‘must report’ list", The Straits Times, 17 April 1985
 * Archive of "Undergrads to be taught about Aids", The Straits Times, 21 April 1885
 * Archive of "16 more may be carriers of Aids virus", The Straits Times, 30 April 1985
 * Archive of "Aids doctor thanks mum", The Straits Times, 12 May 1985
 * Archive of "Special lab to do Aids tests soon", The Straits Times, 18 May 1985
 * Archive of "Man with Aids related virus in hospital", The Straits Times, 21 July 1985
 * Archive of "Aids carrier leaves hospital", The Straits Times, 28 July 1985
 * Archive of "Ministry steps up Aids drive", The Straits Times, 5 September 1985
 * Archive of "Singapore ‘first in the world’ to have 100 % screening of donor blood", The Straits Times, 11 September 1985
 * Archive of "S’pore-Stanford research tie-up bid", The Straits Times, 10 October 1985
 * Archive of "Aids: 20,000 cleared", The Straits Times, 29 November 1985
 * Archive of "200 turn up for first public medical convention", The Straits Times, 28 April 1986
 * Archive of "Screening tests likely to uncover more Aids carriers", The Straits Times, 1 May 1986
 * Archive of "100 people could be Aids carriers here: Expert", The Straits Times, 3 August 1986
 * Archive of "Aids claims first victim here", The Straits Times, 11 April 1987
 * Archive of "Fear of Aids pushes up condom sales", The Straits Times, 19 April 1987
 * Archive of "Govt dental clinics phasing out boiling", The Straits Times, 1 October 1987
 * Earliest cases of HIV/AIDS in Singapore
 * HIV/AIDS in Singapore's LGBT community
 * Paddy Chew
 * Avin Tan
 * Ajmal Khan
 * Calvin Tan
 * Adrian Tyler

=References=
 * Kong Sook Chin, "New strains of VD found in S’pore", The Straits Times, 29 April 1986[].

=Acknowledgements=

This article was archived by Roy Tan.