Syphilis is an infectious sexually transmitted disease (STI) caused by the bacteria Pale treponema. If left untreated, in adults it can damage the heart and brain and cause blindness, deafness and paralysis.
Federal government data showed that In 2022 alone, more than 207,000 syphilis infections were recorded which include the detection of the disease at all stages and congenital. Which represents an increase of 17% compared to the figure of 203,500 infections in 2021, and an increase of 80% compared to 2018 when 113.73 cases were recorded.
At the same time a significant increase was observed among cases of infected newborns. More than 3,700 such cases were reported in 2022, including 231 fetal deaths and 51 infant deaths.
When analyzing the incidence of congenital syphilis, in which the infection is transmitted from the mother to the fetus, an alarming increase of 937% was detected in the last decade.
This increase is reported while other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as gonorrhea, have shown a decrease in the same period. Unlike syphilis, gonorrhea cases decreased by 8.7% in 2022.
LThe CDC detected a total of more than 2.5 million cases of syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia in the country in 2022, which they consider a health alert.
They said it is unclear why syphilis increased by 9% while gonorrhea fell by 9%, and added that it is too early to know if a new downward trend in gonorrhea is emerging.
Why the increase?
Experts believe that the constant increase in cases is due to the reduction in the use of condoms, while More Americans opt for drug treatments that effectively prevent HIV infections without the use of condoms.
They highlighted that the trend has also been driven by shortage of crucial drugs to treat syphilis. As is the case of the bacillina long-acting injectable form of penicillin manufactured by Pfizerwhich has been scarce in the country since 2023.
This treatment is recommended for syphilis in adults and is the only treatment to treat pregnant women and prevent the transmission of syphilis from the mother to the newborn.
They also highlighted that the number of clinics focused on sexual health has also decreased throughout the country.
Given this, specialists have recommended people with a higher risk of contracting syphilis to take the antibiotic. doxycycline after having unprotected sexual relations.
The most affected people are women
According to the CDC report, outbreaks can occur anywhere in the country. South Dakota recorded highest rate of syphilis infections in 2022followed by New Mexico. Arkansas, Oklahoma and Mississippi, who occupied third, fourth and fifth place on that list.
New Mexico had the highest rate of congenital syphilis of any state, with 355.3 cases per 100,000 live births. While five states, including Texas, California, Arizona, Florida and Louisiana They represented 57% of all cases reported in the country.Fo
The increase is especially worrying in women, who had an increase of 19.5% in 2022approximately a quarter of the 59,016 national cases. While men who have sex with other men continue to represent a large part of those affected.
Although this disease continues to have a disproportionate impact on gay and bisexual men, the disease is spreading to heterosexual men and women, according to CDC officials.
In terms of race and ethnicity, some populations were more affected. 30% of infection cases occurred among African Americanswhile Alaska Native Americans experienced the highest rate of any ethnic groupwith 67 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
Native Americans had the highest rate of congenital syphilis. There was one case of congenital syphilis for every 155 births in 2022.
Coordinated actions
The health authorities They urge coordinated action at the federal level to reverse this trendwhich allow the epidemic to be controlled jointly through adapted strategies and adequate resources.
Dr. Laura Bachmann, acting director of the CDC’s Division of STD Prevention, said in an interview with CNN that “decade-old prevention strategies cannot continue to be used to address the current STI epidemic. People need tests and treatments that reach them.”
“We know that it is possible to reverse this epidemic, syphilis was close to elimination in the 90s”Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of the CDC’s National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, told the New York Times.
Mermin added that the CDC is also pushing research into a simple test for syphilis that can be used in clinics and could be available within the next two years.
@Lydr05
Source: With information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Health Day and Europa Press
