Sexually transmitted infections and clinical features in monkeypox (mpox) patients in Madrid, Spain

Travel Med Infect Dis. 2023 Mar-Apr:52:102544. doi: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2023.102544. Epub 2023 Jan 18.

Abstract

Since the beginning of the monkeypox (mpox) virus outbreak in May 2022, there has been an increase in the number of cases worldwide in the setting of sexual transmission. We have tested by real-time PCR 187 mpox patients, of which 157 patients were screened for sexually transmitted infections (STI) in 245 samples. Thirty-six pathogens were detected in 30 patients: herpes simplex virus (HSV-I/II, 12/36, 33.3%), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG, 9/36, 25%), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT, 5/36, 13.8%), Chlamydia trachomatis-lymphogranuloma venereum (CT-LGV, 3/36, 8.3%), Treponema pallidum (TP, 4/36, 11.1%) and Mycoplasma genitalium (MG, 3/36, 8.3%). Screening of STI is recommended in mpox patients for the differential diagnosis of the main infections of sexual tract especially in patients with rectal involvement.

Keywords: Chlamydia; Coinfections; HIV; LGV; Monkeypox; Neisseria; Proctitis; STI; Sexually; Syphilis; mpox.

MeSH terms

  • Chlamydia trachomatis
  • Humans
  • Lymphogranuloma Venereum* / diagnosis
  • Lymphogranuloma Venereum* / epidemiology
  • Mpox (monkeypox)* / diagnosis
  • Mpox (monkeypox)* / epidemiology
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases* / diagnosis
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases* / epidemiology
  • Spain / epidemiology