Chlamydia continues to be the most common infectious disease in Alaska

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTVF) – The Alaska Department of Health released the 2022 infectious disease report, which includes a list of all infectious diseases recorded in Alaskan residents. The document includes the infection counts of 42 different diseases.

Released nearly a year after counts are collected, the infectious disease report breaks down the statewide and regional rates of infection for Alaska residents, regardless of whether or not the disease was contracted in Alaska.

Diseases with the top ten highest rates of infection in 2022 can be seen in the chart below:

Among these top ten, the interior was most impacted by the sexually transmitted infection chlamydia, which resulted in nearly 800 interior cases. Chlamydia is spread through skin to skin contact during sex and can even be spread through oral sex. Compared to 2021, chlamydia infections decreased by about 15 percent in the interior and 4 percent statewide.

Gonorrhea, another STI had the second highest rate of infection for the interior with over 400 cases. This particular infection is spread through semen and vaginal fluids. Both of these STIs are bacterial infections which means they are easily treated with antibiotic medications. Unlike chlamydia, gonorrhea cases increased in the interior between 2021 and 2022. 2022 having 122 more cases than the previous year. Statewide cases were up in 2022 as well.

Hepatitis C had much lower infection rate, but remained the third most common infectious disease in the interior. This particular illness is spread through contact with infected blood and is most commonly transmitted through needles used to take drugs, according to the CDC. This disease is treated with direct-acting antiviral tablets according to the World Health Organization. Hepatitis C cases slightly decreased between 2021 and 2022. In 2021 there were 59 cases of the disease in the interior which went down to 52 cases in 2022. Statewide, there was a mild decrease as well dropping from nearly 800 cases to around 720 cases.

The interior recorded a few unique infections in 2022 that did not occur anywhere else in Alaska. These were Alaskapox, listeriosis and mumps. Each of these cases only seeing one infection all year.

Alaskapox being a virus that belongs to a group of viruses called orthopoxviruses. These viruses infect mammals and cause skin lesions but there is little else known about Alaskapox and treatment is limited due to known variables.

Listeriosis being a foodborne bacterial infection which is treated with antibiotics. According the FDA, the main symptoms are fever, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Mumps is a virus that more commonly impacts children and is preventable by vaccine. The main symptoms include swelling and pain in the salivary glands (that produce saliva) and common infection symptoms such as fever, headache and fatigue. Some have even reported pain in the testicles according to John Hopkins Medicine. There is no treatment for mumps but most cases subside after a couple weeks.

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