#symptoms of chlamydia

[endinghivoklahoma]

Oral, anal, and vaginal sex as well as unprotected sex are common ways that chlamydia is spread during sexual contact with an infected person. It is imperative to practice safe sex by regularly using condoms and getting tested for sexually transmitted infections in order to reduce the risk of chlamydia transmission. It is crucial to get tested if you engage in sexual activity with a new partner or are at risk of spreading the infection because chlamydia frequently exhibits minimal or nonexistent symptoms. Preventing the transmission of Chlamydia and preserving your sexual health require early detection and timely treatment. For anyone who participates in sexual activity, getting tested for sexually transmitted infections on a regular basis is a responsible practice that promotes both individual and partner wellbeing.

[nwseptictank]

Chlamydia women symptoms

Identifying Chlamydia Women Symptoms is vital for maintaining good health. In Oklahoma, recognizing signs like abnormal vaginal discharge, pelvic pain, and painful urination is crucial. Ending HIV, available at (405) 426-8400, offers specialized support, including testing and treatment options tailored to women's needs. Early detection is key to effectively managing Chlamydia and preventing its transmission. Take charge of your health today by reaching out for assistance and guidance.

[tiktokparrot]

Discover the secrets of Psittacosis – the bird flu's mischievous cousin! Learn symptoms, treatment, and how it affects birds and humans.

[manuelnunezmd]

The Three Most Prevalent STIs: Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and HPV

Introduction: Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and human papillomavirus (HPV) are among the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs). These infections can cause serious health problems if left untreated and can affect anyone who is sexually active. In this post, we’ll explore the causes, symptoms, and treatments of these three prevalent STIs. Chlamydia: Causes and Risk Factors: Chlamydia is…

[sexygaywizard]

I put my symptoms into wizardMD and it said I've got arcane chlamydia

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

would you like to tell us about your research on virginity?

but also...wdym STIs aren't as scary as we think??? I was told most of them are incurable? I know you can make aids untrasmittable and that they've even succeded in curing it a couple times but that's about it. I would love to be educated about this

yeah, the basic idea with the virginity project was that the whole concept of virginity is pretty bullshit in the context in which it was initially significant, namely cisgender women being penetrated by cisgender men, so as soon as you take it outside of that context by introducing gay and trans sexuality it totally falls apart. I mean, hell, it stops working if you even look at two cishet people doing literally anything OTHER than penis-in-vagina sex. I tripped up so many people initially when I started asking questions like "okay, so you don't think a woman loses her virginity from a man going down on her. so what if it's two women? what's the difference?" and just really getting people to face down their very penis-centered view of the sex, to the result of several people telling me that it kind of made them reevaluate what they actually think of as the first time they had sex. it's also fascinating to either read other people's accounts or discuss firsthand how queer people have either tried to make themselves fit into the binary of virginity - queer man disagreeing over whether or not you have to have penetrative anal sex to lose your virginity or oral sex is sufficient, a fascinating case of a lesbian who felt that have sex with other cis women didn't "count" and asked a cis male friend to have sex with her just so she could feel satisfied that she'd lost her virginity - or abandon it entirely. Hanne Blank's book Virgin was a formative starting point, and it really exploded for me from there.

as for the STIs - hey, bad news! you fell victim to the scare tactics used to make people afraid of sex! almost all sexually transmitted infections are very easy to treat and cure with the right medicine, which is why it's important to get tested regularly and check in with your healthcare provider at the first sign of something amiss. pubic lice, scabies, trichomoniasis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis - all of those are pretty easy to get rid of with some help from your doctor and a run to the pharmacy!

the major exceptions are the 4 H's: herpes, HIV, HPV, and hepatitis B.

herpes is with you forever but is an incredibly mild companion to share your body with, considering most people never experience any notable symptoms and those who do can curb the severity with medicine.

it's also worth noting that herpes is so common as to be virtually ubiquitous; the World Health Organization consistently estimates that somewhere around 80% of the world's adult population is carrying herpes simplex virus 1 or herpes simplex virus 2. a great deal of those people don't even get it from having sex, but rather by catching HSV-1 from a parent or other people they come is close contact with as a child.

you're actually thinking of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) when you mention AIDS becoming untransmittable, but that's still a very good thing! the care available for people with HIV has come incredibly far since AIDS first became known and claimed so many lives, and today it's more than possible for people infected with HIV to live long, healthy lives by taking the proper medication to manage their viral load.

with management, people with HIV will not develop AIDS (which happens when the immune system is sufficiently depleted by HIV) and by consistently taking their medication people with HIV can become undetectable (the viral load in their body is too small to be detected or measured in tests), at which point they are unable to transmit the virus to other people.

HPV (human paillomavirus) comes in many different strains, most of which are absolutely harmless and go away on their own after a couple of months or years of freeloading in your body. I cannot emphasize this enough: HPV is so common that virtually everyone who has sex has, will have, or has had it in their lives, and the vast, VAST majority of those people will never be troubled by it literally at all.

the trouble comes from a few strains of HPV that can cause genital warts, and a few others that can cause cancers in the throat, anus, cervix, vulva, vagina, and penis. while HPV can't be treated, you can reduce your risk of developing cancer by getting the HPV vaccine if you haven't already and, if you have a cervix, getting regular Pap smears to catch early warning signs of cancerous developments.

hepatitis B is a viral infection that targets the liver. in rare cases it can cause chronic health problems that can be very dangerous, but I have to emphasize that's not common. in most adults who get hep B, there will be no symptoms and it will resolve itself in a matter of weeks. the infection is riskiest in children, but at least in America most people have received vaccines against hepatitis B as babies since the 90s.

in conclusion: get your shots, take your medicine, use protection, get tested, and talk to your doctor, but know that if there's one thing humans are good at it's figuring out how to manage STIs. we've been doing it for a long time - most sexually transmitted infections and parasites have been with us since before we we became modern humans - so we're really good at it!

[macgyvermedical]

Incubation Periods List

Hi all!

The following is a list of incubation periods for various infectious diseases for all your writing needs. An incubation period is the amount of time between exposure to an infectious agent (bacteria, virus, protozoa or prion) and the person having the first symptoms of the resulting illness. Knowing this is helpful in creating a timeline for your story.

Anthrax: Incubation period of 1-60 days

Avian Flu: Incubation period 3-9 days

Botulism: Incubation period 12-72 hours

Chikungunya: Incubation period 3-7 days

Chlamydia: incubation period 7-21 days

COVID-19: Incubation period 5-10 days

Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease: Incubation period 10-20 years

Dengue: Incubation period 5-7 days

Diphtheria: Incubation period 2-5 days

Ebola: Incubation period 2-21 days

Hantavirus: incubation period 1-8 weeks

Hepatitis A: incubation period about 28 days

Herpes: Incubation period 2-12 days

Herpes Zoster/Varicella (Chickenpox): Incubation period 14-16 days

Herpes Zoster (Shingles): Incubation period- technically none, as this is a reactivation of the virus that causes chickenpox

HIB: Incubation period 2-10 days

HIV: Incubation period 1-6 weeks to prodrome, approximately 10 years to AIDS

Influenza: Incubation period 1-4 days

Legionnaires Disease: Incubation period 5-6 days

Leprosy: Incubation period 9 months to 20 years

Lyme Disease: Incubation period 3-30 days

Malaria: Incubation period 7-30 days

Measles: Incubation period 10-12 days

Meningitis, Bacterial: Incubation period 2-10 days

Meningitis, Viral: Incubation period 3-10 days

Monkeypox: Incubation period 1-2 weeks

Mumps: Incubation period 16-18 days

Norovirus: Incubation period 12-48 hours

Pertussis: Incubation period 7-10 days

Plague: Incubation period 2-8 days

Pneumococcal Pneumonia: Incubation period 1-3 days

Polio: Incubation period 7-10 days

Q-Fever: Incubation period 2-3 weeks

Rabies: Incubation period 20-90 days

RSV: Incubation period 4-6 days

Smallpox: Incubation period 7-17 days

Syphilis: Incubation period 10-90 days

Tetanus: Incubation period 3-21 days

Tuberculosis: Incubation period 2-10 days

Typhoid: Incubation period 6-30 days

Typhus: Incubation period 1-2 weeks

West Nile Virus: Incubation period 2-6 days

Yellow Fever: Incubation period 3-6 days

Zika: Incubation period 3-14 days

[endinghivoklahoma]

Recognizing Symptoms Of Chlamydia is crucial for preventing its spread. In Oklahoma, being aware of signs such as painful urination, abnormal discharge, and pelvic pain is essential. Ending HIV at (405) 426-8400 offers assistance and resources for testing and treatment. Don't delay; early detection is paramount for effectively managing Chlamydia.

[nwseptictank]

Chlamydia women symptoms

Identifying Chlamydia Women Symptoms is vital for maintaining good health. In Oklahoma, recognizing signs like abnormal vaginal discharge, pelvic pain, and painful urination is crucial. Ending HIV, available at (405) 426-8400, offers specialized support, including testing and treatment options tailored to women's needs. Early detection is key to effectively managing Chlamydia and preventing its transmission. Take charge of your health today by reaching out for assistance and guidance.

[astrobiscuits]

Chiron: where is our physical (and mental) wound?

I'm currently reading a book about Chiron (did you know it's actually half asteroid, half comet? me neither), which inspired me to make this post. I'm in no way an expert in medical astrology, just a curious owl that wants to learn more about every branch of astrology out there (my Sag Venus loves it!!🤭)

DISCLAIMER!!! I'm not a doctor. If you've been feeling any symptoms described here, TALK WITH YOUR DOCTOR, NOT WITH ME

Observation: Before we dive in, i'd like to mention that the position of Chiron in the houses is important. Not every house placement suggests having a poor physical condition. The most prominent Chiron placements when it comes to having a medical condition are: Chiron in 1st house (house of self, visible illnesses), Chiron in 5th house (illnesses since birth/early childhood), Chiron in 6th house (house of health, if Saturn is also sitting there it points to chronic illnesses), Chiron in 8th house (house of death, may point to severe diseases or poor reproductive health) and Chiron in 12th house (house of the unconscious, deals with mental illnesses)

Honorable mention to Chiron in 3rd house and Chiron in 9th house as they represent accidents while travelling. If Chiron is heavily afflicted in these houses (unless it's also conjuncting Jupiter), it may point to...let's just say you're gonna be in a hospital bed in a vegetative state, but remember, nothing has a 100% possibility of happening, you're just more susceptible to it happening. I suggest checking the position of Chiron in Solar Return charts for the possible timing of it happening (look for Chiron in 3rd house/Chiron in 9th house as it activates your natal Chiron)

Without further do, let's dive in⚕️

Chiron in Aries: frequent headaches, frequent nose bleeds, teeth problems (sensitive teeth, tooth decay), deafness, skull fractures, cerebral anemia, brain tumours, hemophilia, epilepsy, BPD

Chiron in Taurus: frequent colds, frequent voice loss, thyroid problems (goiter, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidis, etc.), tonsilitis, OCD

Chiron in Gemini: lung problems (asthma, tuberculosis, pneumonia, etc.), speech problems (stuttering, cluttering, mutism), alzheimer's disease, ADHD, OCD

Chiron in Cancer: frequent stomach pain, prone to lactose intolerance, (for girls) breast lumps, breast cysts, breast infections, nipple discharge, depression, anxiety

Chiron in Leo: prone to insolation, frequent heart palpitations, chest pain, hypertension, hypotension, arteriosclerosis, scoliosis, kyphosis

Chiron in Virgo: frequent bloating, prone to gluten intolerance, chronic allergies, diabetes, rabies, autism, ADHD, OCD

Chiron in Libra: prone to acne, frequent lower back pain, disc herniation, spondylolisthesis, chronic kidney disease, kidney stones

Chiron in Scorpio: frequent pain down there, chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV/AIDS, depression

Chiron in Sagittarius: frequent pain in the hips, prone to hips dislocation, cirrhosis, sciatica

Chiron in Capricorn: prone to knees dislocation, osteoarthritis, bone problems (osteopenia, osteoporosis), gout, depression

Chiron in Aquarius: electrical injuries, shin splints, osteofibrous dysplasia, ankle sprain, ankle fractures, poor blood circulation, schizophrenia

Chiron in Pisces: prone to break toes, athlete's foot, bunions, addison's disease, hormonal deregulation, aphantasia, psychosis, schizophrenia, anxiety

Yes, i'm aware of the fact that it's a generational planet and it moves very slowly through signs

BONUS: It's important to take into consideration all planets that conjunct, square or opposite Chiron (regardless if they're personal or generational) + the Ascendant for additional info about our illnesses

Ex. Let's take me as an example. My Chiron is in my 10th house in Capricorn squaring Saturn in 4th house (so double Capricorn energy) and Aries Ascendant. Guess what? I've got TMJ (basically a jaw disorder affecting the joints) and i've got it from my fam -_- (Saturn rules tradition i love my fam)

I also believe that having a heavy afflicted Chiron in general makes someone prone to having a medical condition, even if it's not in the houses mentioned previously (like in my case). However, these people are more focused on the main meaning of the house, not their health problems. They tend to ignore their health problems or they just don't care

I hope you enjoyed my post and found it insightful :)

What's your wound? Lmk in the comments your placements and your illnesses

Kisses xoxo

[simscici]

At the hospital…

Previous / Next Beginning (Gen 8)

Image transcripts:

Doctor: Many times, Chlamydia doesn’t show symptoms, which makes it hard to detect. It's good that you came to the hospital; we'll start the treatment quickly so there are no complications.

Callie: Well, I felt some nausea, I was feeling really bad this morning, so I thought it was good to come, but I didn’t imagine it was because of Chlamydia…

Doctor: Well… Your nausea isn't exactly because of that.

[sapphic-sex-ed]

my girlfriend and i want to get more intimate with each other but im concerned about possibly contracting an STD/STI. can we contract one of we’re both clean and use no dams? or is protection always the way to go?

STD/STI are acronyms for Sexually Transmitted Diseases/Sexually Transmitted Infections and as with any disease, if you are not exposed to the virus/bacteria that causes it, you cannot transmit it. If you have been tested and have the results come back negative, you do not have the disease and cannot transmit it*.

If you have not been tested but don't experience any symptoms (and has had previous sexual partners), you can still be infected and transfer the disease. It is believed that upwards of 80% of humans are infected with herpes (HSV1 or HSV2) but most don't show any symptoms, called being asymptomatic. Other STIs where it's common to be asymptomatic are chlamydia, HPV/genital warts (only some strains cause warts), and latent syphilis (although you would have noticed syphilis symptoms like rashes before the latent phase, which is a phase that sometimes occurs before the third/final stage of the disease).

If neither of you have had partners before**, or if you have been tested negative 3 months after your last sexual encounter, you don't have an STI.

Furthermore, hand and oral sex on vulvas are considered the safest ways to have sex when it comes to transmission of STIs. Now, I don't know you or your partner's genitals but I'm guessing based on the dental dam comment that it's likely that the sex you'll be having will mainly involve vulvas. While you absolutely can contract an STI in your throat, the amount of vaginal fluid you would have to guzzle to get enough pathogens down to your throat to cause infection is a lot. Semen is a lot more effective at transmitting diseases because, uh, its purpose is to get that shit (spermatozoa) in there, so to speak. It's not risk free, but nothing in life is. This is so low risk that the Swedish organization for sexual and reproductive rights and education (founded in the 30's, leading org for SRHR in the nation) which also produce and sell condoms, at home pregnancy and STI-tests, lube, etc, don't sell dental dams at all. That being said, dams can be fun to play with vis a vis sensation (taut dam vs relaxed dam, for example) and if you want to use one I would never dissuade you from it.

I do wanna bring attention to the usage of the word "clean" to denote that you aren't infected with an STI. It's a common way to phrase it, but it does stigmatize those who have been or are infected with an STI. To say that one is "clean" to mean "not infected" directly implies that to be infected is dirty or unclean, which it is not. This is part of the stigma of contracting and living with an STI, where a moral judgement is cast upon the person. As some STIs are life long, like HIV, herpes, and sometimes hepatitis, the stigma can also be life-long. In the future, I suggest using terms like "not infected" or "tested negative" to avoid this.

-mod liz

*because of incubation time, you have to wait up to three months for some STIs to show up on a test, so if you sleep with a new partner, getting tested the next week may not yield accurate results.

**some STIs are not exclusively sexually transmitted. You can for example contract HIV at birth if your parent was a carrier, hepatitis C can spread through blood, and herpes can infect both mouth and genitals and sharing a glass of water with somebody with oral herpes can transmit it. Unless there's any reason to suspect that you have contracted HIV or hepatitis from somewhere else (like a tattoo or injection needle, or if you mixed your blood with somebody somehow like in an accident) I wouldn't be too worried though.

[smilingformoney]

For the Love of Books

VI. Butterscotch

Summary: It’s a race against time for Sinclair as he tries to get to Betty before midnight.

Read now on Ao3 or below the cut:

A thousand thoughts were running through Sinclair’s head as he drove down the motorway. He was usually a careful driver, especially in his vintage cars, but now he was driving as fast as the speed limit would let him, cursing any slow cars or roadworks that got in his way.

When he got to Truro, he pulled into a petrol station to refuel and to buy a local map. The friendly woman behind the counter helped him find the address he was looking for, and he was off again.

12 Seaview Terrace, Falmouth: the home of Betty’s parents.

***

His final argument with Natalie had happened on Christmas Eve of all days. After getting his diagnosis from the doctor, Sinclair took a few days to read up on chlamydia and understand exactly what it meant.

He could only have got it from her, and she could have got it from… where?

Sometimes symptoms took months to appear. Sometimes they never appeared at all. It was perfectly logical that Natalie could have got it from Richard during the summer. Just because he was getting symptoms now, that didn’t mean she’d caught it recently… did it?

Sinclair wished they hadn’t had sex last week, not just because it was wholly unsatisfying for both of them and only confirmed his fears that any passion they’d had in their marriage was gone, but because if they hadn’t, and he’d still contracted symptoms, he’d know at least that they’d both caught it during the summer.

But now that doubt was eating away at him. What if it hadn’t come from Richard? What if it had come from someone else? Would that be worse, or better? Did she even know she had it?

Sinclair knew one thing for certain. He was never going to have sex with his wife again.

There was no passion left, no trust. He told himself he loved her, but that was a lie.

Shit.

No.

Was it a lie? How long had it been a lie?

Sinclair couldn’t even remember the last time he’d said I love you. It wasn’t the sort of thing he said if he didn’t mean it.

He used to say it every day. Every good morning, every good night, every hello or goodbye was accompanied with I love you. When had it stopped? When did he last say I love you to his wife? When did he last mean it?

Was it before the affair? Or after?

There was no good time to have the conversation, so Sinclair sat Natalie down in the lounge as soon as he was able.

He wasn’t sure what to expect from her. Learning that your husband - and therefore you - had chlamydia would usually be shocking, but Natalie had been so detached and dispassionate for so long that he wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d just shrugged it off.

Instead, they argued. They shouted. Rage and frustration and tears were aplenty, and Sinclair knew it was their last argument, he knew it was their last anything, that their marriage wouldn’t last to Christmas Day. But still, even in mid-argument, he didn’t want to end it now, not in the heat of the moment. They needed to calm down, to think rationally, to be able to process the inevitable and discuss the consequences.

Sinclair considered himself a controlled man. Yes, he was emotional, but he was also sensible and so many times he’d been able to keep himself from making rash decisions in the heat of the moment. For a man who talked non-stop, he knew how to bite his tongue.

But Natalie had only to say one sentence for that to be thrown out the window. Not even a sentence - a word. If she’d said it differently, he might have held back. He would have seen red and it would have taken every ounce of control he had, but he might have been able to walk away until they’d both calmed.

But she slipped. She showed her true self with a single word and Sinclair didn’t hesitate to tell her their marriage was over.

He slept in the guest room that night.

***

Sinclair glanced at his watch. A quarter to midnight. According to the clerk, he would make it to Seaview Terrace in twenty minutes.

He put his foot down and, for the first time in his life, left the speed limit behind.

***

It was the worst Christmas Day of his life.

It was too late to change their plans. All their friends who were either single or married without children came over and they had an adult’s Christmas Dinner. Sinclair tried to sit further up the table from Natalie, but she wormed her way in next to him and was more affectionate than she’d been in months, if not years.

As if that could fix anything.

When it was time to go home, Sinclair offered to drive home his friend Claire, claiming she’d had too many drinks to drive herself. Claire was fine, but when Sinclair whispered his reasoning to her, she played along and thanked Sinclair profusely for driving her home.

Sinclair decided not to mention to Natalie that Claire lived ten minutes away from Betty’s flat.

After dropping Claire off, Sinclair went to Cornelia Street, but to his dismay the lights were off in both the shop and the flat, and there was no answer at the front door. He was about to leave when he saw a note taped to the inside of the shop door:

Owner gone home for Christmas

Closed until 5th January

Apologies for any inconvenience

Of course! What an idiot he was. She wouldn’t want to stay in that flat on her own for Christmas, not when her family were down in Cornwall.

Well… he’d have to wait.

***

Sinclair didn’t particularly want to park his nice vintage car out on the street, but with no other parking, he didn’t have much choice.

He knocked on the door to Number 12. While waiting, rocking on his heels anxiously, he checked the time. Two minutes to midnight.

***

Christmas Day had been ruined. The week after was extremely awkward. New Year’s Eve would be awful too. Sinclair usually loved this time of year, but it was hell to him now, having to pretend that he and Natalie were still together and doing just fine, because appearances had to be kept and he didn’t want to put a downer on everyone else’s holidays with a break-up.

The day before New Year’s Eve, Natalie still hadn’t packed a thing. She was still acting as if nothing had happened and every time he tried to broach the subject of her moving out, she avoided it and found an excuse to go out.

So he did what he’d never wanted to do: he called Richard.

When your wife won’t move out, who do you call to get her out? Her brother, or her lover? For once it was helpful that they were one and the same.

Richard agreed he’d be over on New Year’s Day.

***

The Bennett home was as on the beach as it could be. It was basically their front garden. So of course, on New Year’s Eve, the whole street had a celebration on their little strip of sand, with Stuart from Number 21 out on his boat with the fireworks. Safe? Probably not. Legal? Also probably not. But it was a tradition, and nobody had stopped them yet, so Betty stood on the beach looking out to sea, champagne in hand, waiting for the fireworks to start when the clock struck midnight.

***

Sinclair wished he had Betty’s parents’ phone number. All he wanted was to speak to her, to hear her voice, to ramble to her about everything and get a witty response in return.

All he had was their address. He had written it down some weeks ago when she’d told him he could visit with her in the summer. But there was no point in writing to her - by the time a letter got there, she’d probably be back.

He was looking thoughtfully at the entry in his address book when Mei-Li came into the kitchen to start preparing for the New Year’s Eve party.

“Is Betty coming tonight?” she asked conversationally.

Sinclair loved that Betty and Mei-Li got on so well. He also liked that Betty didn’t call her Millie.

Christ, how did he never see the signs?

“No, she’s back in Cornwall with her family. You know, I’m glad that you and Betty get on, Mei-Li, it’s really nice to see.”

“Oh, she’s lovely! When’s she moving in? Or is it too soon?”

Sinclair frowned. “What do you mean, too soon?”

Mei-Li paused, her cheeks flushing slightly. “Oh - sorry. I guess I assumed - with the break-up… it’s not because of her?”

“Why would it be because of her?”

“Never mind - forget I said anything —“

She tried to turn away, but Sinclair’s curiosity was piqued and he had to know.

“Please, tell me. Why… why do you think Betty would have anything to do with it?”

“Because - well - I thought you might have left Natalie for her. I see how much you like her and she’s head over heels for you so I thought —“

“She’s what?” Head over heels??

No. She couldn’t be. Could she?

“Nothing - never mind —“

“No, tell me!” Sinclair asked urgently, his stomach in knots as if he was a teenager with a crush. “Did she say anything to you?”

Mei-Li fiddled with her apron anxiously, trying to carefully toe the line that Sinclair always made so blurry between employee and friend.

“Well… last time she was here we were talking about boyfriends and she told me she has terrible luck with men. She said she… she’s in love with her best friend, but he’s married.”

For the first time ever, Sinclair’s constantly moving train of thought came to a grinding halt.

Could it be? Did Betty love him as he loved her?

…As he what?

Did he?

Of course I bloody do, his inner voice told him.

He ran to the cupboard to grab his car keys. For fuck’s sake, Natalie had taken the Accord out to go to the bloody hairdressers!

He’d have to take one of his other cars. The Alpha Romeo would make the trip… probably.

He’d miss the party. But why should he care? There was a New Year’s party going on in Cornwall, and he needed to be there.

***

Everyone was gathered. The countdown began.

10…

She’d never had a New Year’s kiss.

9…

Footsteps on the sand, someone running late to the New Year.

8…

Nothing ever changed at midnight.

7…

It was fun to pretend it did, though.

6…

The footsteps were getting closer.

5…

“Betty!”

4…

Were the footsteps for her?

3…

She turned. Was that —?

2…

He reached her just in time.

1…

“Sinclair?”

Happy New Year!

His lips tasted like butterscotch.

[flyonthewallmedstudent]

Psittacosis

Let's open with a case report, like we're on an episode of house.

Case Report

35 yo otherwise well, suddenly presents with 2/52 of high fevers and a headache (usually this means > 39)

a/w chills and rigours, responsive to medication/presumably panadol and intermittent (would resolve then come back)

no respiratory symptoms

She had neutrophilia and intrestingly, a CRP of merely 30.

CXR revealed nonspecific consolidation in 2 lobes, they followed this up with a CT revealing pretty impressive ground glass opacities (or GGOs)

She was empirically treated on IV tazocin only (I'm used to atypical coverage empirically started if there's even a whiff of resp, which she may not have had symptoms but her CXR confirms this)

eventually she was on referred to the authors, who felt her CT findings with consistent with psittacosis and treated her with doxycycline which resolved her symptoms in 48 hrs

on further history, it was revealed that she had parrots at home, one had died 2 days preceding her symptoms and she was sleeping next to its body at night (crazy)

What is it:

psittacosis is a zoonoses (transmitted by animals, animals = reservoirs), in this case, transmitted by birds. Orthinoses if birds in general, but psittacosis if referred to macaws, parrots etc. YOu can also catch it from chickens and turkeys.

Some what related is Bird fancier's lungs. Which just sounds fancy.. I'm sure it's just an old term.

Bird fancier's lung refers to a hypersensitivty pneumonitis (ILD) caused by bird exposure. DIfferent disease process, but birds is the come denominator. INhaled bird particles

Psittacosis specifically refers to the infective disease process caused by a bacteria. It was 'identified" or reported in the 1870s, when a cluster of 7 swiss patients developed the same symptoms and found to have possessed tropical birds.

Similarly, in the 1930s there was an outbreak in the US with a mortality of up to 20% (80% in pregnant women), also attributed to parrots from South America.

Eventually, with further scientific development, the causative pathogen was identified as chlamydia psittaci, an atypical intracellular organism.

Psittacosis is a significant differential to consider in community acquired pneumonia as it has a high mortality if left untreated. But it is rare, and causes about 1% of cases in the US. Part of this is due to improved hygiene practices and strict importation guidelines of tropical birds.

It's spread through the inhalation of dust with either dried faeces or respiratory secretions from infected birds.

Clinical features

Variable! but the key thing on history is birds

incubation time can be anywhere from 2 days to 20

Flu-like (fevers/chills/myalgias/arthralgias/malaise/headache)

high fevers is key

respiratory symptoms - does not always present as per the case report, and can be mild on spectrum (dry cough) to more severe

if systemic, can also get photophobia, deafness and epistaxis

Rare (particularly where doxycycline or azith are prescribed at a low threshold): hepatosplenomegaly (look out for LFTs), GI symptoms (remember CAP can present with diarrhoea, nausea/vomiting --> always do a CXR)

even rarer: endocarditis or myocarditis, encephalitis or hepatitis (usually the complications of untreated disease)

Increased risk groups:

pet shop owners

bird owners

farmers

zoo, lab workers where birds are kept, vets, avian quarantine station workers

poultry handlers/workers

So ask if they live or work with birds, or had recent exposure.

INvestigations

serology is gold standard - so looking for antibodies in blood tests

it's intracellular - so hard to culture if even possible on standard blood cultures

elevated ESR/CRP may see LFT derangement and creatinine rise in systemic illness

CXR- usually lower lobe changes, if CT is done, you can get pulmonary infiltrates with GGOs

Treatment:

usual culprits for atypical coverage: azithromycin 3 days or doxycycline 100 mg BD for 14/7

Differentials

always broad if systemic features only (also consider IE and other causes of sepsis)

with resp symptoms - legionella, Q fever, mycoplasma, tularaemia (except for tularaemia, the rest are also covered by doxycycline)

In clinical practice, I'm so used to just having atypicals on board for any cases of atypical pneumonia. I really take it for granted. But will consider this differential more myself in cases of PUO - but I feel like there should be at least CXR findings regardless.

Anyway, prognosis is very good so long as it is treated.

Sources:

CDC guidelines

Case Report: Importance of Clinical history in Psittacosis

StatPearls

Wiki

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

hii sex witch! i had a question about STIS (which I'm sure you already responded, but I can't seem to find it). So, what exactly are they? And is it possible for two partners who have never been their entire life with other person to get them? Can you be born with STIS? Thanks for reading already and sorry if there's bad grammar, I'm not an English speaker ❤️

hi anon,

thank you for this question, this is one of my favorite things :)

sexually transmitted infections are types of viruses, bacteria, or parasites that can be transmitted between people through sexual contact, although not all of them are spread exclusively through sex - some can also pass through close skin to skin contact or any sharing of bodily fluids, such as sharing needles for intravenous drug use or breast milk.

for a rundown on different types of STIs - what they are, how they're spread, symptoms they cause - I strongly recommend this thorough Planned Parenthood resource.

like I said, not all STIs are only spread through sexual contact. one of the most common STIs in the world is herpes, which many people catch as children when they catch is from their parents kissing them. so, yes, it's completely possible for a person who has never had sex but has herpes to give it to a partner who does not. fortunately, herpes is a very mild virus to live with! like most STIs it's quite treatable; more on that here.

it's rare, but babies can catch STIs from their mother in utero or during delivery, or catch them during breastfeeding. this includes many STIs, including herpes (again), HPV, chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhea, and HIV/AIDS.

[mcatmemoranda]

I have a patient who is not currently sexually active who wanted STI screening, so I ordered gonorrhea and chlamydia test with urine. It is negative for gonorrhea and chlamydia, but is positive for mycoplasma hominis and ureaplasma species. Although she is asymptomatic, I am going to treat her with antibiotics. I haven't had this happen yet.

Microbiology – Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma spp are small bacteria that lack a cell wall and cannot be visualized by Gram stain. They are part of the normal genital flora of sexually experienced individuals. Transient neonatal colonization also occurs.

●Associated genitourinary syndromes – These organisms have been associated with various genitourinary tract infections (eg, pelvic inflammatory disease [PID] for M. hominis and nongonococcal urethritis for Ureaplasma spp), as well as complications of pregnancy, but their precise roles in some of these conditions have been difficult to define.

●Populations at risk for extragenital infection – M. hominis and Ureaplasma can cause severe infection in specific populations. Neonatal infections include meningoencephalitis, bacteremia, and pneumonia, mainly in preterm infants. In immunocompromised patients, severe systemic infections (eg, bacteremia and bone, joint, pulmonary, and central nervous system [CNS] infections) have also been described; extragenital infections can also occur following trauma or instrumentation of the genitourinary tract.

●Clinical suspicion and diagnosis – M. hominis or Ureaplasma spp infection should be suspected in preterm neonates and immunocompromised patients with extragenital infections when initial microbiologic testing is negative or if the patient does not improve on therapy for more common pathogens. Both culture and nucleic acid amplification tests can be used for their detection; if these organisms are isolated, susceptibility testing should be performed, if available.

●Treatment

•Neonatal infection – For neonates, data on the treatment of M. hominis and Ureaplasma spp infections are extremely limited. M. hominis is variably susceptible to clindamycin, tetracyclines, and fluoroquinolones. Clindamycin should be dosed according to postmenstrual age; experience with doxycycline and fluoroquinolones in premature infants is limited. If treatment is warranted for Ureaplasma spp, azithromycin is an option.

•Extragenital infection in other populations – For extragenital M. hominis and Ureaplasma spp infections in nonpregnant individuals, we suggest moxifloxacin or levofloxacin (Grade 2C). Doxycycline is an appropriate alternative, although resistance may be increasing; it is also reasonable to use combination therapy (eg, moxifloxacin or levofloxacin plus doxycycline). Clinical data on the optimal treatment of these organisms are limited; our preference for certain regimens are based mainly on in vitro susceptibility data and safety in different populations.

•Genital infection – Routine testing for M. hominis or Ureaplasma spp in patients with uncomplicated genital tract disease is not warranted. If these organisms are detected in patients with a genitourinary syndrome (eg, nongonococcal urethritis or PID) and are thought to be the cause of the symptoms, we suggest doxycycline (Grade 2C).