A small outbreak of syphilis in San Francisco traced back to an Internet chat
room for gay men marks the first move into cyberspace for public health
officials. Five infected men knew their sexual partners only by online aliases,
and America Online refused to divulge personal information without a court
order. So health officials decided to investigate the outbreak through e-mail
and chat rooms. “This is new territory,” says Rich Damato of AOL in Dulles,
Virginia, who says the online approach maintains anonymity. “This points to how
these matters may be dealt with in the future.”
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû1000¼¯ºÏ
Hantavirus outbreak will not cause a covid-style pandemic, says WHO
News
ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû1000¼¯ºÏ
PCOS postpones perimenopause and allows pregnancies at older ages
News
ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû1000¼¯ºÏ
Coffee's mood-boosting effects aren't just down to caffeine
News
Comment
The best new popular science books of May 2026
Culture
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
PCOS postpones perimenopause and allows pregnancies at older ages
2
Red-light therapy does have health benefits but not the ones you think
3
A lost ancient script reveals how writing as we know it really began
4
Man destined for Alzheimer's may have been saved by accidental therapy
5
Woman in cancer remission without treatment in highly unusual case
6
The greatest David Attenborough documentaries you really need to watch
7
Where has the deadly hantavirus come from and how does it spread?
8
Extinct relative of koalas discovered in Western Australia
9
Prebiotic chewing gum could be helpful for gum disease
10
Dating over 50 is probably on the rise – but we know little about it
