Seasonality of Gonorrhea in the United States

Abstract

is the cause of America's most prevalent reportable bacterial infection. Reported cases increased during and shortly following World War II, reached a peak of 400,639 cases in 1947, and fell to a low of 216,-476 cases in 1957. Since 1957 there has been a steady rise in the number of cases, with a total of 494,227 reported for the United States in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1969 (1). The estimate of the actual number of cases occurring is about 1.5 million (2). Because of the extremely high and increasing incidence of gonorrhea, I felt it would be auspicious to report the seasonal nature of reported cases in the United States.

An analysis of underlying factors for seasonal variation in gonorrhoea in India: A 6-year statistical assessment

“…These factors include frequency of promiscuous sexual behaviour is seasonal, frequency of reporting to medical facilities by patients varies seasonally, susceptibility to gonorrhoea is seasonal, gonorrhoea virulence is seasonal or, reporting of data is seasonal. [10] The most likely explanation for the observed trends in the Scotland study was changes in sexual behaviour related to summer vacations and seasonal work patterns. An increased rate of partner change during the summer vacation was likely to explain the peaks in gonorrhoea incidence during August to October in the United States.…”

“…[6] First study relating to seasonal variations in the incidence of gonorrhoea was in Britain and United States in the 1970's describing a peak in the third quarter of the year and a trough in the first quarter and fourth quarter. [10,12] Seasonal trends were later observed between 1984 and 1989 in Scotland and in the lothian region reporting a peak in the first and third quarter of the year for Scotland but no regular trends in Lothian region. [13] We observed a change in the previously reported pattern with clear peaks of gonorrhoea cases in the second quarter of the year while a trough was observed in the first and last quarter.…”

“…In the United States, seasonal indices for gonorrhoea morbidity were calculated quarterly on the basis of moving average method and the peak season for gonorrhoea infections was the July to September quarter. [10] In CDC study, linear regression was used to ascertain three-month (quarterly) cycles, and a linear mixed auto-regression model was applied to determine the statistical significance of the major peaks relative to the annualized time series mean. [6] In Scotland study, seasonal variation was analyzed quarterly in 1970 and also from 1984 through 1989.…”

“…Seasonal variation in gonorrhoea in the United States was measured in terms of an index, called a seasonal index. [10] Cleveland, Dunn and Terpenning in 1978 introduced cycle plots to study the behaviour of seasonal time series. [17,18] A cycle plot shows both the cycle or trend and the day-of-the-week or the month-of-the-year effect.…”

Is There a Seasonal Difference in the Detection of Trichomonas vaginalis by Cervical Cytology?

“…The overall rate of T. vaginalis detection in Papanicolaou smears in this study population was 7.8%. Although the seasonal difference may have arisen from the study design, it raised the possibility that season may play a role in trichomonal infection, as it has been suggested to do in gonorrhea [6]. The present study does not intend to analyze the accuracy of the diagnosis of T. vaginalis by cervical cytology.…”