Reports of hepatitis A and chlamydia up in Iowa last year

Cases of hepatitis A spiked last year in Iowa, one of the disease trends the state saw in 2008.

Iowa had 109 cases of hepatitis A last year, a 294 percent increase over the three year average from 2005-2007.

Investigation revealed no common source for the liver infection.

The cases are among those in the The Iowa Department of Public Health annual Iowa Surveillance of Notifiable and Other Diseases Report.

The report provides an overall snapshot of the types and trends of infectious diseases in Iowa.

In 2008, the department's division of Acute Disease Prevention and Emergency Response processed nearly 50,000 reports of infectious disease.

“Infectious disease investigation is a great example of what public health does,” Medical Director, Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, said. “By tracking and investigating infectious diseases, IDPH is able to identify trends and outbreaks, and take action to protect the public's health.”

Hepatitis A can occur in cycles, with spikes in infection rates often seen every ten years. The last major outbreak of hepatitis A was in 1997.

Rates of Chlamydia rose 15 percent in 2008, mirroring an increase in cases nationally. Conversely, gonorrhea diagnoses declined slightly. There were 108 new cases of HIV infection reported last year, down from 128 the previous year.

Unusual and rare diseases reported in Iowa last year included Hansen's disease, or leprosy. One case involved an immigrant from Micronesia who had been living in the U.S. for many.

One probable case of a teenager with menstruation-associated Toxic Shock Syndrome was reported.

For the complete report, see: www.idph.state.ia.us/adper/cade.asp