Chlamydia estimates, 1999

Trichomoniasis estimates, 1999

Prevention

Antibiotic resistance

References

Contents

Chlamydia

Figure 4. Estimated new cases of chlamydial infections among adults, 1999 (Acrobat PDF)

Chlamydia is a common cause of pelvic inflammatory disease with subsequent risk for infertility. The higher prevalence of chlamydia observed amongst female adolescents (24.1%-27%),^6,7 and the association with young age⁸ highlight the important role that screening of sexually active female play in the prevention of infertility.

In 1996 genital chlamydial infection was the most commonly reported notifiable infectious disease in the United States with an annual point estimates of approximately 3 million cases⁹,

Box 3. Basic facts about Chlamydia

70-75% of women infected with Chlamydia trachomatis are symptom free. Even in men, the rate of asymptomatic chlamydia infection is higher than the rate of asymptomatic gonorrhoea infection.

Clinical manifestations: mucosal inflammation of the urogenital tract, throat or rectum in both males and females. Neonatal eye infection and pneumonia.

Complications: in women, pelvis sepsis leading to abscess formation, chronic and recurrent pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, infertility and chronic pelvic pain. In men, chronic genital tract infection, possibly resulting in infertility. In children, pneumonia and eye infection.

Diagnosis: Requires sophisticated equipment, is costly and not always available in developing country laboratories.

Figure 5. Chlamydia prevalence rates (%) amongst asymptomatic women in European countries, 1990s

In Western Pacific, studies amongst pregnant women have shown a prevalence rate that ranges from of 5.7% in Thailand¹⁰ up to 17% in India¹¹. One study in a rural population in Papua New Guinea showed a prevalence rate of 26%¹².

In Australia, number of STI notified in 1998 was higher than in 1997. Chlamydia infection was the most common STI notified and the third highest for all notifiable diseases.¹³

In Europe, prevalence of chlamydia infection amongst pregnant women ranges from 2.7% in Italy to 8% in Iceland, with low prevalence and incidence rates in the Nordic countries, following a wide scale screening programmes in the 1970s (Figure 5).^{14,
15, 16,
17, 18,
29, 20}

Prevalence studies from Latin America and Caribbean, show rates from 1.9% amongst teenager in Chile²¹, 2.1% amongst pregnant women in Brazil²², and 12.2% amongst attendees to family planning clinics in Jamaica.²³

Figure 6. Chlamydia prevalence rates (%) pregnant women in African countries, 1990s

In Africa, studies amongst pregnant women have revealed a prevalence rate from about 6% in Tanzania to 13% in Cape Verde, (Figure 6).^{24,
25, 26,
27, 28}

Table 2. Estimated new cases of chlamydial infections (in million) among adults, 1995 and 1999
Region	1995			1999
Region	Male	Female	Total	Male	Female	Total
North America	1.64	2.34	3.99	1.77	2.16	3.93
Western Europe	2.3	3.2	5.5	2.28	2.94	5.22
North Africa & Middle East	1.67	1.28	2.95	1.71	1.44	3.15
Eastern Europe & Central Asia	2.15	2.92	5.07	2.72	3.25	5.97
Sub Saharan Africa	6.96	8.44	15.4	7.65	8.24	15.89
South and South East Asia	20.2	20.28.	40.48	18.93	23.96	42.89
East Asia & Pacific	2.7	2.63	5.33	2.56	2.74	5.3
Australia & New Zealand	0.12	0.17	0.3	0.14	0.17	0.3
Latin America & Caribbean	5.01	5.12	10.13	4.19	5.12	9.31
Total	42.77	46.38	89.15	41.95	50.03	91.98

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