Chlamydia in Canada - Essay Example

Chlamydia is often referred to as a “silent disease” simply because half of the infected males and approximately 70% of females do not show any symptoms (Health Canada, 2006). This means that it is only through testing that one can know if they have the disease. The morbidity, which explains the incidence of chlamydia in Canada according to health Canada is 678.9 as the highest and the lowest being 78.9 per 100, 000 of the Canadian population (Health Canada, 2006). Pregnant women with chlamydia may give birth to babies with eye infections, ones that will develop pneumonia, or in other cases premature ones. Men are also affected by the disease as it causes, scarring of the urethra makes urination difficult, and in some cases can cause infertility. Additionally, both genders will be at risk of Reiter’s syndrome, which is a type of arthritis caused by an inflammation caused when the infection spreads through the bloodstream to body joints. Chlamydia has not been associated with any death instances because it can be treated but if left untreated it leads to the health problems discussed above. Therefore the mortality rate, which explains the number of deaths every year, is not known. In recent years the number of reported chlamydia cases has been increasing with the highest incidence rate being 678.9 and the lowest being 78.9 per 100, 000 of the Canadian population.

2 Briefly describe the course of the disease or condition using the concepts of incidence, prevalence, and case fatality. If the concepts are not relevant to your subject explain what they mean and why they are not relevant.

It is claimed that chlamydia is one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted diseases not only in Canada but in the whole world as well. The incidence, which defines the number of reported cases of chlamydia has increased over the years For instance, more than one million Americans are infected with the disease (Patrick 1997). However; trends indicate that the prevalence, which explains the number of people infected with chlamydia, has significantly declined over the years despite the high number of cases reported. For example, approximately 15% of the eye problems were attributed to chlamydia in the mid-’90s but this had dropped to less than 4% in 2000 (Health Canada, 2006).according to the public health agency of Canada, as of 2008, the number of reported chlamydia was 82, 919 with 27, 876 being males and 54, 967 being the female population.  Chlamydia conjunctivitis is synonymous with chlamydia and affects even infants during pregnancy. Research shows that half of the infants born by women with chlamydia will get the disease. Case fatality, which describes the rate of deaths caused by chlamydia, does not apply in chlamydia infections because the disease is treatable when one is tested and treated. 

3. Identify At least Two Risk Groups. Use Concept Of Risk To Describe Their Probability Of Developing The Condition Or Specific Diseases Relative To A Low-Risk Group

The highest rate of chlamydia infections occurs among young adults between 18 and 24 years (McKay, 2004).70 % of all reported cases are in this age group and this shows the magnitude of its risk on young people (Health Canada, 2006). The high-risk group, which is the most vulnerable group to chlamydia, is the youth and they record a level of 10% higher than adults. This is because they engage in unsafe sex, drug abuse, which may have a role to play in increasing the infection rates. There is also a gender difference in chlamydia infections, where the rate of women accounts for over two-thirds of the reported cases. However, the rate of infection is increasing faster among men despite the high number of reported chlamydia infections among women.