Two weeks after the intensity of New Year celebrations, it’s a good time to reflect on sexual health. Many common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can take about two weeks to show up on standard tests. For example, Chlamydia is increasingly common, testing positive in around one in twelve individuals under 25. The rise of dating apps like Tinder has made finding partners quicker, and studies suggest users may face higher STI rates, warranting caution.
Fortunately, significant progress has been made in understanding various STIs in animals and humans, with treatments available for most. Sexually Transmitted Infections are diseases passed during unprotected sex or, sometimes, via genital contact. Many STIs, like Chlamydia, often show no obvious symptoms, which complicates efforts to halt their spread. The most prevalent human STIs include bacterial infections like Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, and Syphilis; viral infections such as Genital Herpes, Human papillomavirus (HPV), and AIDS; and parasitic infections like Trichomoniasis.
But STIs aren’t unique to humans; other animals also suffer from diseases transmitted sexually.
STIs Beyond Humans
“Wild animals don’t practice safe sex, of course they have STIs!” explains Dr. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, a UCLA cardiologist and consultant for the Los Angeles Zoo, who has studied the shared ailments between humans and animals.
Atlantic bottlenose dolphin surfaces in the waterAtlantic bottlenose dolphins can develop genital warts, baboons are susceptible to herpes, and syphilis is widespread among rabbits. The connection goes deeper; some of these diseases may even share a common evolutionary history, notes Alonso Aguire, a veterinarian and president for conservation medicine at the U.S. Wildlife Trust.
“Two or three of the major STIs [in humans] have come from animals,” he states. “We know, for example, that gonorrhoea came from cattle to humans. Syphilis also came to humans from cattle or sheep many centuries ago, possibly sexually.”
The most recent and devastating STI to cross the species barrier is HIV, which originated from the simian version of the virus found in chimpanzees. The commonalities between human and STIs in animals mean much can be learned about human conditions by studying them in animal models.
Learning from Animal STIs Through Research
Studying STIs in animals provides valuable insights into their pathogenicity. For instance, Lockhart and Thrall examined 200 sexually transmitted diseases across various animal classes, including mammals, reptiles, arachnids, insects, molluscs, and nematodes.
They found that the dynamics of STIs differ from other infectious diseases; their spread depends on the proportion of infected individuals within a population rather than just host density. This finding aligns with studies on ladybugs and theoretical host-STI models. Researching an STI in an animal model can also help predict its behavior in humans. For example, studies using Rhesus monkeys suggested that the “viral reservoir” where HIV lies dormant is established much earlier than previously believed. These studies showed that starting antiretroviral treatment sooner delayed the virus’s rebound or detection in the blood but didn’t eliminate it, potentially explaining cases like the widely reported “cured” baby whose symptoms later returned.
Animal Models in the Search for Cures and Vaccines
Animal models are also indispensable in the quest for cures and, ideally, vaccines against STIs. Current research intensely focuses on developing an HIV vaccine.
“There is no protective vaccine against HIV today and it is a priority to find one,” says Dr. Monsef Benkirane, director of the human genetic CNRS institute in Montpellier and an HIV persistence specialist. “If one day we find a vaccine, it won’t be a classic vaccine like we know them today. It will be profoundly new.”
He adds, “However, the discovery of broadly neutralising antibodies brings a hope for HIV cure. Indeed, proof of concept of their efficacy using animal models has been recently reported. Based on results obtained using animal models, clinical trials using this antibody are ongoing.”
Koala climbing a treeIn Australia, researchers are developing a Chlamydia vaccine for koalas, viewing it as a potential step toward a human vaccine. With only around 43,000 koalas remaining in the wild, Chlamydia has significantly contributed to population declines exceeding 80% in some areas over the past decade. Although three more trials are needed, the team envisions possibilities for humans. However, predicting the vaccine’s transferability is challenging due to only 10% similarity between koala and human Chlamydia species. The ultimate goal is to identify antigens conserved across all Chlamydia species. Understanding diseases in diverse animal populations, like those studied by the [champaign county animal shelter ohio](https://shocknaue.com/champaign-county-animal-shelter-ohio/) or other shelters, can broaden our knowledge base.
For now, many STIs are treatable with antibiotics. Like all drugs, antibiotics undergo animal testing before human use to assess efficacy, side effects, and dosage. Doxycycline, a primary antibiotic for Gonorrhoea, Syphilis, and Chlamydia, was shown through animal studies to be potentially harmful to pregnant women and their fetuses as it can cross the placenta. The diversity of [animals with horns or antlers top 7](https://shocknaue.com/animals-with-horns-or-antlers-top-7/) or soft bodies all have unique biological responses, highlighting the need for varied research models. Even seemingly unrelated topics like [do guys like stuffed animals](https://shocknaue.com/do-guys-like-stuffed-animals/) or [books with animals in the title](https://shocknaue.com/books-with-animals-in-the-title/) can spark interest in the animal kingdom’s complexities, including their health.
Conclusion
In conclusion, animal testing remains vital for ensuring the safety of new drugs and vaccines against STIs for human use. Furthermore, research involving animals has significantly deepened our understanding of STIs, leading to treatments benefiting both animals and humans. Facilities like the [rockingham county animal shelter adoptable dogs](https://shocknaue.com/rockingham-county-animal-shelter-adoptable-dogs/) contribute to the animal population pool, some of which may carry diseases relevant to broader health studies.
For more information on this topic, please visit our sister website: http://www.animalresearch.info/en/medical-advances/diseases-research/stis-sexually-transmitted-infections/
