Wisconsin

riversedge

(70,208 posts) Tue Sep 5, 2017, 07:35 AM Sep 2017

Wisconsin Sees Large Increase In Reported Syphilis Cases

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Wisconsin Sees Large Increase In Reported Syphilis Cases
Department Of Health Services Report Shows 58 Percent Increase In STIs In 2016

Monday, September 4, 2017, 6:30am
By Marylee Williams

The number of reported syphilis cases in Wisconsin increased dramatically in 2016, according to a state Department of Health Services report. In Wisconsin, syphilis infections went from 270 in 2015 to 427 in 2016.

This is an increase that's also reflected nationally. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2015 that there was a 19 percent increase in primary and secondary syphilis, early stages of the infection characterized with sores and rashes.

Despite the statewide increase, it's hard for health professionals to pinpoint one cause.

Brandon Kufalk, Wisconsin STD Control Section public health educator, attributed the increase to several factors, including people who aren't aware they're infected. Syphilis does present physical symptoms, like painless sores, but those can go overlooked. Kufalk also said the state has pushed for more rapid testing, which can be done in 15 minutes, and implemented better reporting practices, which could contribute to this increase.
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"The pattern this time around is men who have sex with men, then all men, and then women and pregnant women," Hunter said.

If a woman with untreated syphilis gets pregnant, there's a risk for congenital syphilis, which is when the mother passes on syphilis to the infant during pregnancy. This sexually transmitted infection (STI), if caught in an early stage, is treatable with antibiotics, but an infant with congenital syphilis risks death or permanent damage. CDC officials recommend all women get tested for syphilis at the first pre-natal doctor visit.............................