SAN BERNARDINO – (INT) – A surge in sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) has made chlamydia and gonorrhea two of the top-3 most-reported diseases in San Bernardino County.

An annual report just issued shows that congenital syphilis had a 200 percent increase between 2015 and 2016. County Health Officer Dr. Maxwell Ohikhuare urged all pregnant women to be screened for syphilis at their first prenatal visit and again in the third trimester.

A Community STD Task Force has been established whose primary goals are to reduce STD rates, increase communication and awareness of the impact of STDs, and increase awareness of the need for prevention, screening and treatment.

The third most-reported disease was chronic hepatitis C. Because many people with chronic hepatitis C do not have symptoms, it is recommended that anyone born from 1945 through 1965 be tested for hepatitis C.

For the first time, the report found the Zika virus which is spread by mosquitoes. Dr. Ohikhuare says that underscores that diseases are capable of emerging at any time.

Story Date: September 26, 2017