The new equipment in the specialized obstetrics hospital Sheynovo will allow the medical staff to examine patients and provide on-time diagnosis of the presence of viruses causing cervical cancer. Photo by Yuliana Nikolova (Sofia Photo Agency)
The specialized obstetrics hospital Sheynovo in Sofia received Wednesday new equipment for research of the human papillomavirus (HPV) as a donation.
The new equipment will allow the medical staff to examine patients and provide on-time diagnosis of the presence of viruses that cause cervical cancer and other genital HPV infections.
Papillomaviruses are a diverse group of DNA-based viruses that infect the skin and mucous membranes of humans and a variety of animals. Over 100 different HPV types have been characterized. Some HPV types cause benign skin warts, or papillomas, for which the virus family is named. HPVs associated with the development of such "common warts" are transmitted environmentally or by casual skin-to-skin contact.
The sick death rate of Bulgarian women suffering cervical cancer in the country is extremely high, data shows. Every year more than 1000 Bulgarian women fall ill with this disease, and more then 300 of them eventually die.