The Monterey County Health Department’s Communicable Disease Unit has released its annual report of communicable diseases. The department received 11,189 reports of communicable illness from medical providers and laboratories around the county in 2010.
Vectorborne diseases such as Lyme disease and West Nile cases remain low, while coccidioidomycosis (valley fever), encephalitis and meningitis cases continue to rise.
A pertussis outbreak of epidemic proportions in 2010 affected children, Hispanics and non-Hispanic Whites at higher rates than others.
The most commonly reported foodbourne illnesses include salmonella, campylobacteria and shigellosis.
Disturbingly, sexually transmitted disease cases including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and chlamydia continue to increase in frequency as they have for the past 10 years. However, Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and gonorrhea are on a downturn. There are some 600 individuals living in Monterey County with HIV/AIDS. The report reveals a disproportionately large percentage of Hispanic and African-Americans affected by STDs, including HIV/AIDS, pointing to lack of health services and awareness available for their respective demographics.
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