WHEELING - Two cases of syphilis have been confirmed outside of Ohio County - but at least one case of the sexually transmitted disease is unrelated to Ohio County's outbreak.
Howard Gamble, Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department administrator, said Friday that his investigators have determined a case in Hancock County is not connected to those in Ohio County.
To date, 10 cases have been confirmed in Ohio County, with one of the latest two being in a 17-year-old girl. Zero to two cases annually is considered normal for the county.
''As far as we can tell, it's not related to our case. ... It doesn't have similar contacts,'' Gamble noted.
Another confirmed case was in Jefferson County, but Gamble said since that county is out of his investigators' jurisdiction they do not know if it is related to Ohio County's cases.
Syphilis is an STD that can be cured with antibiotics; if left untreated, it can cause organ damage in later stages of the disease. It is caused by bacterium Treponema pallidum.
Gamble noted as of Friday no new cases had been confirmed in Ohio County, but test results on a man are expected Wednesday.
To date this year, no cases of syphilis have been reported in Belmont, Monroe, Harrison, Marshall, Brooke, Wetzel or Tyler counties, health officials said. But chlamydia appeared to be the most commonly reported STD in each of those counties. None mentioned new cases of HIV or AIDS in their counties.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, chlamydia is a common STD caused by bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. It is known as the ''silent'' STD. Many people never develop symptoms, which can include, for both men and women, abnormal discharge and burning during urination. Like syphilis, chlamydia can be cured with antibiotics.
Hancock County's syphilis case was confirmed this week, said nurse Sophie Eastham. She declined to disclose the person's age or gender.
''That's the first in years since I've been here,'' Eastham noted.
In addition to syphilis, she noted her health department conducts free clinics by appointment for HIV, hepatitis B and C, chlamydia and gonnorrhea.
''Chlamydia is the most common, but we don't see that much,'' Eastham said, noting the test for the STD requires only a urine sample.
In Jefferson County, Cindy Deavers, an infectious disease nurse at the county health department, said one case of syphilis - in a 24-year-old woman - was confirmed in her county in June. She noted, however, that her health department doesn't limit services to county residents. People from throughout the region come to her health department for testing, including from Pennsylvania.
''We've had a lot of chlamydia this year - 40 cases this year. And four cases of gonorrhea,'' she noted. ''We've also had a lot of hepatitis C - 14 cases from January to September.''
In Belmont County, infectious disease nurse Lynn Schrum said no cases of syphilis have been reported to her county health department.
''We have been notified of two contacts - people who have been in contact with someone with syphilis,'' Schrum said.
She noted her health department does not conduct local STD case management, that the Ohio Department of Health handles it. Her health department offers testing for chlamydia and gonorrhea only. By law, however, doctors and hospitals must report STD cases to health departments. In the month of September, there were seven cases of chlamydia reported in Belmont County; in September 2007 there were 11 cases, she noted.
In Marshall County, Administrator Ronda Francis said her health department hasn't had a syphilis cases since 2006.
''People have been through, but nobody tested positive,'' she said.
She noted since word of Ohio County's syphilis outbreak, more people have come to the health department for testing, though she did not have an exact number.
''We don't limit who we see to county residents. They could be from the state of Ohio,'' Francis said.
George Nowels, syphilis elimination project coordinator for the Ohio Department of Health, said as of Oct. 23 there were no Harrison County syphilis cases reported to him. Harrison County Health Department officials referred questions to Nowels.
In Brooke County, nurse Sandy Rogers said no syphilis cases had been reported to her county health department. Nurse Beth Swager noted the most common STDs in her county are chlamydia and gonorrhea.
Karen Cain, clinic supervisor at the Wetzel-Tyler County Health Department, said there have been no syphilis cases reported to her health department. Chlamydia cases, she noted, are seen sporadically.
''We offer free family planning, and condoms are free,'' Cain said, noting condoms are given out in brown paper bags.
Health department Nursing Director Denise Kachel said there have been no syphilis cases in Monroe County. She noted since January, four chlamydia cases have been reported to her health department. She noted Monroe County does not conduct family planning or STD clinics.