Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences
In 2009, New Mexico and the world witnessed the spread of a new influenza virus, the Influenza
A virus, subtype H1N1 (H1N1). In New Mexico, the overall lab-confirmed hospitalization rate
due to influenza was 4.9 per 10,000, which includes 969 confirmed cases (NMDH, 2010a).
Young children were the most greatly impacted with a hospitalization rate of 13.4 per 10,000.
Hospitalization due to H1N1 and death rates due to H1N1 were disproportionately higher in
American Indian populations in New Mexico (NMDH, 2010a). Worker influx could result in a
higher number of cases of influenza and increased strain on public health care systems.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD’s)
In-migration of young male workers making high wages has been shown to increase the rates of
sexually transmitted diseases in the affected community (Goldenberg et al., 2008). Since the
proposed action is likely to result in an in-migration of young male workers, it is important to
understand current rates of STDs in the study area.
The State of New Mexico Department of Health STD program collects information on chlamydia,
gonorrhea, and syphilis as well as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and autoimmune
deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Reported rates of STDs that are available at the county level are
highly variable as illustrated by the wide range of values seen in figures 74 and 75. Overall, the
highest rates of STDs are observed in people aged 20–24. In New Mexico, the northwest health
region sees higher rates of STDs than most other health regions and African American, American
Indian, and Hispanic racial cohorts have disproportionately higher rates than non-Hispanic
Whites.
Figure 74. Cases of gonorrhea in Cibola County, 1999-2007 (NMDH, 2011b)
Although rates of gonorrhea remain below the national average in New Mexico, there was a
recent increase in incidence rates with the number of reported cases increasing 52 percent
between 2000 and 2006 (NMDH, 2011b). Antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea is a new challenge that
health care professionals are facing. Figures 81 and 82 depict the absolute number of reported
392 DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest