Surveillance systems for sexually transmitted diseases in Switzerland.
BACKGROUND
In Switzerland (population 7.4 million), 3 different systems contribute to surveillance for sexually transmitted infections.


OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study was to compare time trends from surveillance systems for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis.


METHODS
We studied surveillance data (1997-2003) from laboratory reports in women and men, men attending dermatology clinics, and women attending gynecologists.


RESULTS
Laboratory reports of episodes of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae increased by 31% (from 2573 to 3449 cases) and 104% (from 259 to 528 cases), respectively. Over the same period, chlamydia reports from men attending dermatology clinics and women attending gynecologists did not change and dermatology clinic-based reports of gonorrhea in men increased only slightly. Syphilis reports from dermatology clinics increased by 127% (from 22 to 50 cases).


CONCLUSIONS
Increases in laboratory reports of chlamydia and gonorrhea were not consistently detected in sentinel populations. Numbers of cases reported to all 3 systems were low. The performance of surveillance systems for sexually transmitted infections should be evaluated regularly.
Zwahlen
Marcel
M
Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Spoerri
Adrian
A
Gebhardt
Martin
M
Mäusezahl
Mirjam
M
Boubaker
Karim
K
Low
Nicola
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D013587:Syphilis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D014210:Treponema pallidum / Q000302:isolation & purification