Blue Earth County #2 in state for chlamydia ; STD’s on the rise overall

(St. Paul, MN) – The number of sexually transmitted diseases around the state continues to increase, with Blue Earth County earning a high ranking spot in one category.

The Minnesota Department of Health reports that the combined number of new chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis cases in Minnesota have increased by 3% in 2018 from the previous year.

Chlamydia is the number one reported infectious disease in the state, according to the MHD’s release, with one-third of cases occurring in Greater Minnesota. In fact, Blue Earth County ranks second in the state for reported chlamydia cases, with 455 cases at a rate of 711 per 100,000 residents. The county ranks behind only Mahnomen, which has a rate of 776 cases per 100,000.

Gonorrhea remains the second most commonly reported STD in Minnesota with a 16% increase in 2018. Forty-two percent of all gonorrhea cases occurred among 15 to 24-year-olds, with three-quarters of cases reported in the Twin Cities metro.

Syphilis alone decreased by 2% with 918 cases statewide in 2018, but ten cases of congenital syphilis in infants were reported last year, making it the highest Minnesota has ever reported – a 400% increase from 2017.

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