Sexually transmitted diseases and blood borne infections are dominating the list of infectious diseases in Chatham-Kent.
The Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit says 436 cases of infectious diseases were reported in 2016.
Officials say 73% of the reported cases were sexually transmitted diseases like Chlamydia and blood borne infections such as Hepatitis C.
Epidemiologist Stanley Ing says overall, local infectious disease rates are lower than the provincial average except Hepatitis C.
Ing says the health unit is trying to figure out if the Hepatitis C cases are new or old and were not previously reported.
"The only thing that is unknown to us, just based on the data, is that we don't know if it's actually increased transmission in the community," says Ing.
The health unit is reviewing its Hepatitis C case definition protocol and it should be updated next year.
The health unit reports local gonorrhoea cases jumped significantly in 2016 compared to the five year average.
Ing says Hepatitis C remains a concern in Chatham-Kent.
"In our community Hep C is still seen as a problem as highlighted in our previous infectious diseases report from last year," Ing says.
Ing says the top risk factors for Hepatitis C are injection drug use, tattoos and piercings.