Climbing syphilis cases in Erie County
Laura A Beckes, CHES
Erie County Department of Health
Disease Investigation Specialist
Syphilis can be a deadly disease if not treated with a simple dose of antibiotics. Before the discovery of penicillin in the 1940's syphilis was a fatal disease and allegedly responsible for the deaths of many historical figures including Al Capone, Hitler, Mussolini and Ivan the Terrible.
The disease was almost eliminated in the year 2000 with few cases diagnosed in the United States but syphilis is now increasing at an alarming rate, particularly among gay and bisexual men.
The Erie County Department of Health (ECDH) is very concerned about this disturbing rise and is working on public awareness campaigns promoting testing, especially to high risk populations. Below is an overview of testing recommendations from the Center for Disease Control (CDC):
- Sexually active gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) should be screened at 3-6 month intervals.
- MSM who have multiple or anonymous partners should also be screened at 3 to 6 month intervals.
- Anyone who has unprotected sex or shares injection drug equipment should get tested at least once a year for STDs and HIV.
- Pregnant women should be tested for STDs starting early in pregnancy, with repeat testing currently recommended at the third trimester of pregnancy and at the delivery of a child.
People infected with Syphilis will usually present with a painless genital sore that lasts a few weeks and then follow with a rash which may appear when the sore is healing or a few weeks after it is gone. The rash can show anywhere on the body and the appearance may vary. The rash can feel scaly and if it appears on the bottom of the feet or the palms of the hands can look like rough, red or brownish spots. The rash can be very faint and usually doesn't itch.
People who present with these symptoms and test positive are in the early stages of syphilis and can easily spread the disease via skin or mucus membrane contact (mouth, throat, genital area, and rectum) with their sex partners. If left untreated the infection can lay inactive in the body for 20-30 years before becoming active again. Without treatment syphilis can lead to heart disease, mental problems, blindness, stroke, dementia and death. It also increases a person's risk for contracting and transmitting the HIV virus.
Fighting syphilis has never been more of a challenge due to the increased use of people using internet sites to find partners, particularly in the gay and bisexual community. In combating the disease it's vital to identify sexual partners for testing and treatment but it is very difficult to locate partners from these internet sites.
Syphilis can be spread through oral sex, anal sex and vaginal sex. To protect yourself, wear condoms each and every time, limit partners, or if possible, abstain from sex. If you think you have syphilis call the Erie County Department of Health at 814-451-6700 for FREE, confidential testing and treatment or contact your local health care provider. The Erie County Department of Health offers free STD and HIV testing Tuesdays 9:00am-11:30am and Wednesdays 1:00pm-3:00pm. No appointment is necessary. Adagio Health also provides STD and HIV testing. Call (814) 453-4718 for more information.
