New Strains of STIs Discovered in Kenyan Border Town
Health workers have warned Kenyans to stay vigilant after they discovered two strains of chlamydia and gonorrhoea STIs that have not been discovered in genes of the STIs mentioned. Investigators who sought to understand why two hospitals in Busia recorded a high number of STIs discovered the two strains.
sign of an STI
Prof Samson Muuo, the assistant principal research scientist at the Center for Microbiology Research at Kemri, disclosed that researchers were shocked to find that all 424 Kenyan women aged 15 years and above sampled from the two hospitals tested positive for gonorrhoea and chlamydia. Daily Nation, reports.
Prof Muuo says more investigation is underway, “This information was collected under socio-demographic characteristics that are still under analysis and so we will soon know how many used protection, the histories with using antibiotics as many indicated they have used them before, comorbidities if any and if they have had similar infections before,”
Prof Muuo adds that the mutations MtrR and 23S rRNA genes associated with macrolide resistance were not from a common ancestral origin from the previously reported one. (Macrolides are drugs used to treat various bacterial infections.)
Sample of an STI test
“Busia being a border town gives an interesting approach to the disease’s spread. Hypothetically, it can be assumed that these mutations will spread between the two regions,” Muuo says.
Ms Shillah Simiyu, a Kenyan epidemiologist who works at the World Health Organization African Region Office explains that Busia presents a high number of STIs due to the increased number of sexual activities, especially by virtue of many truck drivers stopping by the border town. The border town is known for its huge number of sex workers and wild sex activities.
Condoms protect people against STIs
The epidemiologist also advocates for a mixed methods study. The study in question involves social, laboratory science and epidemiological approaches to address the issue at hand.
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