Several cases of Chlamydia, a sexually transmitted disease, have been reported with the Lincoln County Public Health Department.

There have been two new cases reported in the last week, according to Amy Smart, RN and Public Health Emergency Preparedness Coordinator/Infectious Disease Nurse. Thus far this year, the total number of cases reported in Lincoln County is 15, Smart said. There are more contacts within the county, but they haven't been tested yet, she added.

In 2007, there were 57 cases reported to the Lincoln County Public Health Department, according to Smart. Of those cases, 27 or 47 percent were reported from people in the Eureka area, 25 cases or 44 percent were reported in the Libby area and five cases or 9 percent were reported in the Troy area.

“This is really unusual,” said Micki Carvey, RN, Lincoln County Health Nurse. “There are higher numbers than normal.”

Carvey noticed there was a flare up last spring, she added, and in late summer going into the school year.

Chlamydia is the most commonly reported bacterial sexually transmitted disease in the U.S. It can damage a woman's reproductive organs, according to the Center for Disease Control. Symptoms are usually mild, but serious complications may cause irreversible damage, including infertility, and may occur before a woman knows there is a problem.

Carvey correlates the Chlamydia cases to risky behavior with drinking and substance abuse.

“When they're under the influence they are less inhibited and throw caution to the wind,” Carvey added. “There's been such an increase in substance abuse and they may not bother with a condom or use it properly or it had been sitting on a dashboard and rotted from the sun.”

Those infected are “people who tend to drink and drive,” Carvey continued. “They tend to drive faster than appropriate and it shows that they aren't as concerned with risky behavior. They're less inhibited.”

Chlamydia is known as a “silent” disease because about three quarters of infected women and about half of infected men have no symptoms. If symptoms do occur, they usually appear within 1 to 3 weeks after exposure, according to the CDC.

Chlamydia can be treated and cured with antibiotics. In order to avoid contracting the disease, safe sex practices should be followed and annual testing for Chlamydia should also take place.