Morbidity
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
The total
number of cases of syphilis reported in New Jersey has declined annually
since 1990 (Table C5). From 1996 to 1997, the reported incidence decreased
by 294 cases, from 1,467 to 1,173 cases. Reported cases of primary and
secondary syphilis, early latent, late and late latent, and congenital
syphilis all declined from their 1996 levels (Martin, R.M., et. al.,
1999). Table C12 provides a distribution by age group of reported cases
of syphilis (by stage), gonorrhea, and chlamydia.
In 1997
the age groups with the highest reported rates of primary and secondary
syphilis were persons 20 through 34 years (Communicable Disease Service,
1999b). Every county reported cases of syphilis in 1997 (Table C13).
Crude syphilis incidence rates higher than the state rate were found
in Essex, Camden, Union, Passaic, Hudson, and Hunterdon Counties, in
order of decreasing rate. These six counties accounted for 927 cases
or 79.0 percent of the total reported cases. Essex County alone accounted
for 33.7 percent of all cases.
There
were 7,566 cases of gonorrhea reported in 1997, a decrease of 1,154
cases or 13.2 percent from the 1996 incidence figure. The annual incidence
of gonorrhea had decreased for more than a decade; the reported incidence
in 1988 was about two times the number of cases reported in 1997, however
the incidence had increased in 1996 and remains above the levels reported
in 1992 through 1995 (Table C5). By county, the highest crude gonorrhea
rates were found in Essex, Camden, Mercer, Cumberland, and Atlantic
Counties, in descending order by rate (Table C13). These five counties
were responsible for 65.5 percent of the total cases statewide. Essex
County alone reported 2,8747 or 38.0 percent of the total. Nearly three-quarters
of the cases of gonorrhea (72.6% or 5,495 cases) were reported among
residents aged 15 through 29 (Table C12).
The numbers
of reported cases and rates of chlamydia by age group can be found in
Table C12 and the numbers and rates by county are provided in Table
C13. Chlamydia incidence is heavily concentrated among the young: 84.4
percent of cases reported in 1997 were in persons 15 through 29 years
of age. The highest rate was in 15 through 19 year olds. The highest
incidence rates of chlamydia were in Essex and Camden Counties, which
together accounted for 37.9 percent of total reported cases.
TABLE
C5. INCIDENCE OF SYPHILIS BY STAGE AND GONORRHEA
NEW JERSEY, 1988-1997
|
| YEAR
| SYPHILIS
|
GONORRHEA
|
| TOTAL
CASES*
| PRIMARY
& SECONDARY
| EARLY
LATENT
|
| NUMBER
| RATE**
| NUMBER
| RATE**
| NUMBER
| RATE**
| NUMBER
| RATE**
|
| 1988 |
2,878 |
37.3 |
1,100 |
14.2 |
632 |
8.2 |
16,423 |
212.7 |
| 1989 |
3,361 |
43.5 |
1,516 |
19.6 |
810 |
10.5 |
14,174 |
183.5 |
| 1990 |
4,394 |
56.8 |
1,697 |
22.0 |
1,223 |
15.8 |
14,724 |
190.5 |
| 1991 |
3,765 |
48.6 |
1,093 |
14.1 |
913 |
11.8 |
10,489 |
135.3 |
| 1992 |
2,682 |
34.3 |
601 |
7.7 |
779 |
10.0 |
6,960 |
89.0 |
| 1993 |
2,642 |
33.6 |
328 |
4.2 |
582 |
7.4 |
6,456 |
82.1 |
| 1994 |
2,220 |
28.1 |
240 |
3.0 |
357 |
4.5 |
5,228 |
66.1 |
| 1995 |
1,518 |
19.1 |
188 |
2.4 |
293 |
3.7 |
5,741 |
72.3 |
| 1996 |
1,467 |
18.4 |
177 |
2.2 |
303 |
3.8 |
8,720 |
109.2 |
| 1997 |
1,173 |
14.6 |
150 |
1.9 |
236 |
2.9 |
7,566 |
94.0 |
*INCLUDES EVERY STAGE OF DISEASE
**RATES ARE COMPUTED PER 100,000 POPULATION
SOURCE: NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SENIOR SERVICESCOMMUNICABLE
DISEASE SERVICE |
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