Gonorrhea : a vaccine against meningitis B reduces the risk

Bork/epictura

Published the 11.07.2017 at 12h57

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Keywords :

gonorrhéevaccinpréventionméningite

It is more commonly known by its popular names : hot-piss, gonorrhea, chtouille. Beyond words, gonorrhea is a real scourge in the world. Each year, 78 million cases are diagnosed in the world. One way to avoid the contagion exists, the condom. So far, no vaccine has prevented infection.

The university of Auckland (New Zealand) is hopeful in this area. It finds, in the Lancet, a vaccine against meningitis B also reduces the risk of acquiring gonorrhea. The study, funded in part by the laboratory GSK and the university, reported a risk slightly reduced.

A third risk in the least

This study draws lessons from an outbreak of meningitis B occurred in New Zealand in the years 2000. With the growing number of cases, the authorities have launched a vaccination campaign. 81% of young people in the country were vaccinated against the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis. At the same time, the researchers found a drop in cases of gonorrhea.

Setbacks of the same type have been observed in Cuba, and Norway, each time after vaccination campaigns against meningococcus type B. Still, it’s necessary to objectify the phenomenon.

The new zealanders have, therefore, scrutinized the register of vaccinations of the archipelago, over the period from 2004 to 2008. The data were cross-checked with the diagnostic of gonorrhoeae and chlamydia in 14 000 young people, infected between 2004 and 2016.

The results are clear : the fact of being immunized against meningitis B protects slightly against gonorrhea. Compared to those who have not received the vaccine, the risk is reduced by 31 %.