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The Netherlands' National Institute for Public Health said that an outbreak of a rate STD among gay and bisexual men might also facilitate the transmission of HIV. Approximately 80 percent of the 92 people infected with lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) in the Netherlands were also infected with HIV, said Marita van de Laar, an institute spokesperson.

The disease causes ulcers in the rectum. While it can treated with antibiotics, scientists believe the associated bleeding may make HIV transmission easier, said van de Laar.

LGV is normally found in tropical climates, with only one to three cases reported each year in the Netherlands. Five LGV cases have been reported in Belgium, and 85 cases have been reported in France since the beginning of 2004, said van de Laar. Other countries were alerted to the disease.

In the United States, CDC recently issued a warning after a single case was reported. Van de Laar, who is researching the outbreaks, said she was unsure of what caused the recent LGV rise.

Editor's Note: from the Associated Press