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A rare sexually transmitted infection which develops into flesh-eating genital ulcers has been found in the UK for the first time.

Until now donovanosis has never been reported on these shores, with cases normally found in more tropical countries.

But according to research by online pharmacy Chemist-4-u.com , the rare sexually transmitted disease has been diagnosed in a woman, between the age of 15 and 25, in the past 12 months in Southport, near Liverpool.

According to the Liverpool Echo , the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) have never logged another previous case in the UK.

The disease is usually found in tropical and subtropical countries such as southeast India, Guyana and New Guinea, and due to its rarity in Britain it doesn't appear on most STI lists, compiled by UK sexual health websites.

A spokesperson for Public Health England added: "Donovanosis primarily occurs in tropical countries or regions of the Americas, Southern Africa and Oceania.

“It is very rarely diagnosed and reported in the UK."

Sex with an infected person is not the only means of catching the disease, which is twice as likely to affect men than women.

Simple contact with a victim's bleeding ulcer is enough for it to be passed on and symptoms can show one to 12 weeks after coming into contact with the bacteria.

And without treatment, the ulcers increase in size and other bacteria can also attack the ulcers which then generate a foul smell.

Half of infected men and women have sores in the anal area, which appear as small, red, beefy lumps.

The bumps gradually erode but as the disease spreads it starts to destroy tissues in the infected area.

There are also possible complications involved in contracting the disease, which can include permanent genital damage and scarring, loss of skin colour and irreversible genital swelling due to the scarring.

Pharmacist Shamir Patel, of Chemist 4 U , said: “This is a very rare and nasty condition and it could be one of the first times it has been recorded in the UK.

“Although antibiotics can treat donovanosis, early-stage cases might be going undiagnosed because it's so uncommon in the UK.

“Bacteria that cause the disease, known as klebsiella granulomatis, infect the skin around the genitals, groin or anal area and causes lesions and skin disintegration as the flesh effectively consumes itself.

“Donovanosis itself can be treated with antibiotics, time is of the essence.

"Any delay could cause the flesh around the genitals to literally rot away.

“This bacteria is also a risk factor in the transmission of HIV.”