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CLEAR Temp: 48 °F Wind: SSW at 5 mph Wednesday, February 5, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend January 31, 2003 Symptomless STD hard to track By BILL KETTLER Mail Tribune Casual lovers across Jackson County are falling to an old affliction that often leaves no calling card. Chlamydia infects hundreds of county residents every year. Public health officials say it’s impossible to determine how widely the sexually transmitted disease has spread because many people who are infected have no symptoms. Chlamydia is a concern because it can cause life-threatening tubal pregnancies and other fertility problems for women. If undetected, it can be passed to newborns at birth. Men typically spread the disease by having unprotected vaginal sex with a woman who has the infection and passing it to other women during sex. Preliminary data for 2002 shows a small decline in the number of reported chlamydia cases (398) in Jackson County compared to the past two years. There were 446 cases reported in 2000, and 406 reported in 2001. The number of reported cases, however, doesn’t necessarily paint an accurate picture of the true incidence of the disease. About three-quarters of the women and half of the men who carry the bacterium have no symptoms. People who have no symptoms don’t seek treatment. As long as their illness remains undetected, they don’t show up on any reports. "You have to make an educated guess about what’s present at any one time," said Tom Roberts, who heads the county’s program to control sexually transmitted diseases. Roberts described chlamydia as hyperendemic: "There’s a lot out there, but it’s not going up or down very much." The reported infection rate in Jackson County has fluctuated considerably during the past five years — from a low of 163 reported cases per 100,000 people in 1999, to a high of 246 per 100,000 in 2000. It held steady around 220 per 100,000 during 2001 and 2002. Chlamydia is by far the most frequently reported of the four main sexually transmitted diseases that are tracked by Oregon public health officials. Jackson County typically records no more than two or three dozen cases of gonorrhea per year, and only two or three cases of syphilis. Several factors have contributed to the rising number of reported cases. Laboratory tests for identifying Chlamydia trachomatis, the bacterium that gives the disease its name, are more accurate than they were formerly. That means some infected people who might have gone undetected before have joined the case list. "When you test with a higher sensitivity, you’re going to find more cases," said Doug Harger, liaison to county health divisions for Oregon Health and Human Services’ program for HIV, sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis. Harger said more people are being tested, too, which also can increase the number of reported cases. Over the past nine years, Jackson County’s reported incidence of chlamydia has ranged from a low of 226 cases in 1997 to a high of 446 cases in 2000. Harger said Jackson County’s notable increase in 2000 was repeated across Oregon. Nationwide, as many as 4 million people may be infected. Chlamydia is easily cured with antibiotics, and its spread can be halted by the use of condoms. Men with symptoms might have a discharge from the penis and a burning sensation when urinating. The few women with symptoms might have a vaginal discharge or a burning sensation when urinating. When the infection spreads, symptoms may include abdominal pain, nausea, fever and bleeding between menstrual periods. Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S