EU agency warns over chlamydia

By Martin Banks - 2nd July 2009

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Cases of the sexually transmitted infection chlamydia are continuing to rise in Europe, according to a new report.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention Control (ECDC) says that over the summer alone an estimated that 200,000 young people in Europe will become infected with chlamydia and most of them won't even know that they are infected.

Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection in Europe and affects mostly young adults under 25.

The ECDC says the true occurrence of chlamydia is most likely much higher than the official figures because the majority of the infected do not have clinical symptoms.

Surveys in European countries have shown an estimated population prevalence of five to 10 per cent in young people.

ECDC director Zsuzsanna Jakab said, "Chlamydia infection can severely affect the fertility of young women and their possibility to have children.

"Given the high levels of infection being reported across the EU, and the likelihood that many cases are being left undetected, this could impact significantly on public health in the future."

The ECDC has now published new guidance on chlamydia control based on a study of efforts to control it in 29 European countries.

"We hope it will help EU countries further reinforce their systems for diagnosis and management of this disease," said Jakab.

ECDC's guidance on chlamydia control in Europe is based on a study of chlamydia control activities in 29 European countries.

According to the ECDC there is wide variation in the organisation of chlamydia control. Almost half of the countries reported no organised activity while national control programmes were only identified in two countries.

The ECDC guidance includes different options for chlamydia control to ensure that prevention and patient management are in place before complex interventions such as screening are considered.

Jakab said that chlamydia is a "significant public health problem" because untreated chlamydia may lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, and poor reproductive outcomes in some women.

She said the cost of treating sub-fertility due to chlamydia is high as it requires tubal surgery and in-vitro fertilisation.

"Although simple and effective treatment with antibiotics is available, control of chlamydia is challenging as the majority of infected people remains without clinical symptoms," she said.