Health experts warn a horse skin infection called ‘rain rot’ is being transmitted through sex at European holiday saunas, causing itchy, pus-filled rashes on men
Brit holidaymakers have been issued a grim warning as a nasty skin condition typically found in horses and cows is reportedly being passed between humans at popular European sunshine destinations. The bacterial infection, nicknamed “rain rot,” has sparked alarm after clusters of cases were identified in France and Spain.
Crucially, those struck down by the animal disease had no contact with livestock, leading experts to believe it is now being spread through sexual contact.
The outbreak came to light after groups of men in Lyon and Barcelona sought help at sexual health clinics. Patients reported itchy, pus-filled sores appearing on their faces, thighs and genitals.
Medics diagnosed them with dermatophilosis, a condition caused by the bacterium Dermatophilus congolensis. While common in sheep, horses and cattle in tropical climates, it is incredibly rare in humans.
However, none of the men involved had travelled to the tropics or touched a farm animal. Instead, researchers found a different common denominator.
The patients were gay men, many of whom had visited “venues for sexual encounters,” including saunas, just days before their symptoms started.
Experts believe the warm, damp environment of saunas provides the perfect breeding ground for the bug. In a report published in Emerging Infectious Diseases, researchers noted that the bacteria flourish in humid conditions, saying these venues “might have been a factor in transmission.”
The spread has drawn comparisons to the 2022 mpox outbreak, though symptoms of rain rot are generally milder.
Most cases cleared up naturally or with standard antibiotics, though one man in Lyon suffered from fever and vomiting.
The infection appears to be on the move across the continent, with 25 cases confirmed across Lyon, Paris, Bordeaux and Annecy, nine cases recorded in Barcelona, while doctors in Berlin have reportedly identified the infection. Links have also been made to travel in Turkey and Italy.
University Hospital of Lyon researchers used genetic sequencing to prove the cases were linked. They said: “The combination of close genomic relatedness between the eight sequenced isolates and shared sexual exposures suggest interhuman transmission within sexual networks.”
Health officials are now worried that the infection could be misdiagnosed as mpox or cause serious issues for those with weakened immune systems, such as people with uncontrolled HIV.
Demetre Daskalakis, a former director at the CDC, urged both venue owners and visitors to take action. He said: “It’s a good time for these saunas to make sure that they’re doing a lot of cleaning.
“But I think it also speaks to men who are attending these venues. I think it’s [about] making sure that they’re doing all the stuff that they need for hygiene and making sure they shower after encounters, etc.”
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