NEW YORK: Chlamydia Is Top Communicable Disease in County

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

NEW YORK: Chlamydia Is Top Communicable Disease in County

Journal News (White Plains) (05.01.05) - Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Jane Lerner

Chlamydia topped the list of infectious diseases reported to the Rockland County Health Department in 2004, with 369 residents diagnosed. The STD has remained the most commonly reported infectious disease in the county since health officials began tracking cases in 2001. Chronic Hepatitis C came in second in 2004 with 248 cases recorded. Tick-born Lyme disease came in a distant third with 172 county residents affected. Gonorrhea was next, with 89 cases, followed by shigella, a food-borne bacteria that struck 33 residents.

County Health Commissioner Dr. Joan Facelle said chlamydia education and treatment efforts are not as visible as those for other diseases. "You don't necessarily see the efforts to prevent and treat sexually transmitted diseases," said Facelle.

Public health workers often diagnose chlamydia, a bacterial infection most commonly found in people younger than age 25. "Chlamydia is quite prevalent, especially in younger people," said Jennifer Leonardi, acting vice president of medical services for Planned Parenthood of Hudson Peconic. "The concern here is that the infection is mostly asymptomatic - you don't feel anything that makes you think something is wrong, which is why it's so important that we test for it."

The Rockland Health Department tests all women who utilize its Women's Health Center for annual exams. In addition, it offers chlamydia testing to men and women using the county's STD clinic.

Judi Doherty, a public health nurse and a health department educator, said she frequently talks to high school students about the consequences of unprotected sex, including chlamydia and other STDs. "Kids are desperate for this information," said Doherty. "If they don't get the right information they will talk to each other and make it up. They have to understand the risks and how they can protect themselves."
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