Gonorrhoea and Syphilis Epidemiology in Flemish General Practice 2009–2013: Results from a Registry-based Retrospective Cohort Study Compared with Mandatory Notification

Abstract

BackgroundThe number of newly diagnosed gonorrhoea and syphilis cases has increased in Flanders in recent years. Our aim was to investigate, to which extent these diagnoses were registered by general practitioners (GPs), and to examine opportunities and limits of the Intego database in this regard.MethodsData from a retrospective cohort study based on the Flemish Intego general practice database was analyzed for the years 2009–2013. Case definitions were applied. Due to small case numbers obtained, cases were pooled and averaged over the observation period. Frequencies were compared with those calculated from figures of mandatory notification.ResultsA total of 91 gonorrhoea and 23 syphilis cases were registered. The average Intego annual frequency of gonorrhoea cases obtained was 11.9 (95% Poisson confidence interval (CI) 9.6; 14.7) per 100,000 population, and for syphilis 3.0 (CI 1.9; 4.5), respectively, while mandatory notification was calculated at 14.0 (CI: 13.6, 14.4) and 7.0 (CI: 6.7, 7.3), respectively.ConclusionIn spite of limitations such as small numbers and different case definitions, comparison with mandatory notification suggests that the GP was involved in the large majority of gonorrhoea cases, while the majority of new syphilis cases did not come to the knowledge of the GP.

Prescription of Antibiotics to Treat Gonorrhoea in General Practice in Flanders 2009–2013: A Registry-Based Retrospective Cohort Study

“…43 of 76 male cases (57%) belonged to the age class 25–44 years, whereas the female cases were quite evenly spread among the age classes 15–24 years (6 cases, 40%), 25–44 years (4 cases, 27%), and 45+ years (5 cases, 33%). The age and sex distribution is shown in Table 2 (see also [ 31 ]).…”

“…More than 90 Intego GPs reported a total of 91 cases in 5 years, as a mean less than 1 case per GP in 5 years. Elsewhere, we argued that there seems to be not much underreporting of gonorrhoea cases to mandatory notification in Flanders and that Intego figures suggest GP involvement in most gonorrhoea cases [ 31 ]. Another issue is that many infections may not have been detected.…”