Fact Check: Donovanosis is an ulcer-causing STI, not a flesh-eating STD

Hyderabad: Several social media users have shared a post that claimed that Donovanosis is a flesh-eating sexually transmitted disease (STD).

The caption to the viral post read, “All jokes aside, there is a literal flesh-eating STD out there called Donovanosis, and our there eating randoms! Very sick. if you don’t believe Google it. (sic)”

We found the same post on other Facebook posts and Twitter as well.

Fact Check

NewsMeter found the claim to be false as donovanosis causes ulcers but there is no evidence that it is a flesh-eating STD.

As per a study, donovanosis or granuloma inguinale is a bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI) of the genital region caused by Klebsiella granulomatis. It is chronic and progressive and causes genital ulcers. The prognosis for uncomplicated donovanosis is good if appropriate treatment is started early, though there is a possibility of relapse.

If left untreated, granuloma inguinale can cause significant scarring and tissue destruction. Malignant transformation is also possible. The above study doesn’t mention anything about a flesh-eating component as claimed in the post.

“Donovanosis describes an ulcerative condition, meaning that it results in breaks in the skin that do not heal naturally. Due to the appearance of these lesions, some people may refer to donovanosis as a “flesh-eating” infection. However, this is incorrect because the bacteria do not eat the flesh,” described Medical News Today.

According to Healthline, “People call it the 'flesh-eating STD' due to its symptoms, but it doesn’t actually eat your flesh. Rather, it causes ulcer-like sores.”

It should be noted that although it is a rare condition, as per a 2019 study on the prevalence of donovanosis in Central India, researchers found that the prevalence of donovanosis has decreased and it is considered to be an endemic disease. It is important to evaluate patients with granulomatous ulcers over genitals even in non-endemic areas.

Researchers also found an association with HIV that require prolonged treatment with a combination of antibiotics. So, get your HIV test done as soon as possible.

It is highly recommended to see your doctor if you notice symptoms like widespread ulcers around the genital area and anus, bulging red bumps that may grow in size, painless red bumps that bleed and grow back, damaged skin and loss of genital tissue colour.

Also, as soon as you receive a donovanosis diagnosis, it’s important to reach out to your partner and get them tested too. This can also help prevent the STI from spreading any further.