Information to the readers of a Brief Report of Sexually Transmitted Infections in Canada: 2006

This brief report is intended to provide an overview of case reports and trends in the three nationally reportable bacterial STIs (chlamydia, gonorrhea, and infectious syphilis) between January 1, 1997 and December 31, 2006. The surveillance information in this report is based on two main data sources: 1) case reports to the Public Health Agency of Canada from provinces and territories on chlamydia, gonorrhea, and infectious syphilis; and 2) Canadian gonococcal resistance surveillance, a collaborative effort between the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and provincial and territorial laboratories.

This brief report consists of three parts corresponding to the three nationally reportable bacterial STIs. The accompanying text identifies major findings and trends in each of these three bacterial STIs. The tables and figures are embedded in the text and supersede those in earlier publications of these data. Technical notes and explanatory details specific to provincial or territorial surveillance data are located at the end of this report.

The publication of this brief report would not have been possible without the submission of data from all provinces and territories. Their ongoing contribution to national STI surveillance is gratefully acknowledged.

Any comments and suggestions that would improve the usefulness of future publications are appreciated and should be sent to the attention of the Community Acquired Infections Division at PHAC_Web_Mail@phac-aspc.gc.ca.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Chlamydia (Chlamydia trachomatis)

• Reported rates of chlamydia in Canada, 1997-2006
• Reported rates of chlamydia by sex and age group, 2006
• Reported rates of chlamydia among males by age group, 1997-2006
• Reported rates of chlamydia among females by age group, 1997-2006
• Reported cases and rates of chlamydia by province/territory, 1997 and 2006

Gonorrhea (Neisseria gonorrhoeae)

• Reported rates of gonorrhea in Canada, 1997-2006
• Reported rates of gonorrhea by sex and age group, 2006
• Reported rates of gonorrhea among males by age group, 1997-2006
• Reported rates of gonorrhea among females by age group, 1997-2006
• Reported cases and rates of gonorrhea by province/territory, 1997 and 2006
• Antimicrobial susceptibility of N. gonorrheae strains tested in Canada, 1999 - 2006

Syphilis (Treponema pallidum)

• Reported rates of infectious syphilis in Canada, 1997-2006
• Reported rates of infectious syphilis by sex and age group, 2006
• Reported rates of infectious syphilis among males by age group, 1997-2006
• Reported rates of infectious syphilis among females by age group, 1997-2006
• Reported cases and rates of infectious syphilis by province/territory, 1997 and 2006

Technical Notes

References

Acknowledgements

The preparation of this brief report would not have been possible without the contributions of the provincial and territorial ministries of health. We gratefully acknowledge them for the surveillance data provided to the Public Health Agency of Canada and their expert contributions to national STI surveillance.

Many others contributed to the development and publication of this report:

• Local public health units across the country with their continued commitment to collecting the data that form the basis of national surveillance;
• The Notifiable Disease Section, Surveillance and Risk Assessment Division, Public Health Agency of Canada, which is responsible for maintaining the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System from which counts of bacterial STIs are derived;
• The National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, which provided the data on antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea;
• The Federal Field Surveillance Officers who assist with data quality improvements and provide ongoing support to the Community Acquired Infections Division;
• The Scientific Publications and Multimedia Services Division, Public Health Agency of Canada

Production of this brief report and previous surveillance reports would not have been possible without the valuable input of Dr. Tom Wong.

How to Reach Us

For more information, copies of this report or other related reports, please contact:

STI and HCV Surveillance and Epidemiology Section
Community Acquired Infections Division
Centre for Communicable Diseases and Infection Control
Public Health Agency of Canada
100 Eglantine Driveway, Health Canada Building #6
A.L. 0603B, Tunney’s Pasture
Ottawa, Ontario  K1AS 0K9

Email: PHAC_Web_Mail@phac-aspc.gc.ca

This report was prepared by the following STI and HCV Surveillance and Epidemiology Section members:

Gayatri Jayaraman, PhD, MPH
Manager

Maureen Perrin, MSc (C), ITPM
Senior Epidemiologist

Stephanie Totten, MSc
Epidemiologist

Lily Fang, MHSc
Epidemiologist

Adrian Kurz, BA
Analyst