Researchers sought to determine the association of Internet use and acquisition of syphilis and to describe innovative methods of partner notification in cyberspace. During the outbreak, cases were significantly more likely than controls to have met their sexual partners through use of the Internet. In this study, meeting sexual partners through the Internet was associated with acquisition of syphilis among gay men. Public health efforts must continually adapt disease control procedures to new venues, carefully weighing the rights to privacy versus the need to protect public health. California Three deaths in California during the past 14 months have been linked to an arenavirus, a rare virus which causes hemorrhagic fever syndromes in Africa and South America.
Further testing is under way.
The patients did not have any activities in common, and none had a history of travel outside California during the 4 weeks preceding their illness. Illnesses were associated with nonspecific febrile symptoms including fever, headache, and myalgias. All 3 patients had acute respiratory distress syndrome and 2 developed liver failure and hemorrhagic manifestations. All patients died 1-8 weeks after illness onset. Arenavirus, like hantavirus, is believed to be transmitted to humans through inhalation of dust contaminated with the urine, feces or saliva of infected rodents.