Epidemiological aspects of gonococcal infection in the arkhangelsk region

The authors studied the incidence of gonococcal infection in the Arkhangelsk region in 2001—2011. They also analyzed gender and age distribution, social set-up, education level and marital status of patients. In areas with the low to moderate (Group I) and high (Group II) incidence, the authors analyzed such indices as density of the population, number of dermatovenerologists, territorial profile (agricultural or industrial depending on the branch) and transportation quality. In 2001—2011, the incidence of gonococcal infection in the Arkhangelsk region was falling down — from 187.4 per 100,000 people in 2001 to 78.9 per 100,000 people in 2011 (by 2.4 times). Substantial difference in the incidence rate was observed in different districts of the region. The authors revealed that young men aged 20—29 with secondary education, not engaged in public production, clerks or workers from industrial enterprises, not married, practicing often and sometimes unsafe sexual contacts with women belong to the risk group in terms of incidence of gonococcal infection in the Arkhangelsk region. The authors also revealed that living in big towns with well-developed heavy (machine building, shipbuilding), oil extraction and oil processing industry as well as transportation (in particular, marine and river transport) where young men are employed, and high migration of the population is observed (tourism, business travels, labor migration) may be a risk factor in terms of incidence and propagation of gonococcal infection in the Arkhangelsk region.