New York City health officials held a news conference February 2nd after the laboratory diagnosis of Lymphogranuloma venereum, or LGV. LGV is a form of chlamydia that also can damage the bowels and scar the anus, the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Thomas Frieden said.

"We know LGV increases the risk of the spread of HIV because it causes ulcers and bleeding," Frieden said. He said LGV appears to primarily have affected bisexual and gay men.

The recent two cases in New York, now laboratory-confirmed as LGV, are consistent with the pattern of LGV being found in men who had sex with other men, health officials said. Frieden said the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have also confirmed three LGV cases in San Francisco and one in Atlanta, all among gay or bisexual men.

Susan Blank, New York's assistant commissioner for sexually transmitted disease control, said the health department is treating the two cases as an "outbreak" in an aggressive effort to prevent the spread of what she called "a bad disease."

"We are notifying New Yorkers that we have identified two cases of a new form of a sexually transmitted disease that has affected gay men in New York City," Frieden said. Unprotected anal intercourse is the key risk factor for the spread of LGV, Frieden said, adding that it is difficult to diagnose.

Georgia Division of Public Health officials were working on Wednesday on the LGV case in Atlanta, said Dr. Luke Shouse, chief of the division's HIV and STD surveillance branch.

Shouse warned doctors that the recent outbreak involved symptoms different from traditional LGV symptoms of swelling of lymph nodes in the groin area.

Instead, symptoms have included painful rectal bleeding, pus from the rectum or pain upon defecation. Further, symptons may be confused with inflammatory bowel disease.

The first symptom may be a painless pimple or lesion on the genitals, and the onset of symptoms varies widely, health officials said. The initial lesion may appear from three to 30 days after exposure. An individual remains infectious as long as there are active lesions.

If identified early, Frieden said LGV can be treated with antibiotics. Untreated, it can cause permanent damage to the bowels and swelling and scarring of the genitals, he said.

Sources:
AP News
advocate.com
uk.gay.com
elitestv.com
accessnorthga.com