Syphilis Cases in the US are Increasing and a CDC Report Attributes it to COVID

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recent report highlights a significant increase in syphilis cases in the US in 2022. The total number of reported cases reached 207,255, marking the highest level since 1950. The report also identifies a 16.9% surge in syphilis cases, with the reported rate rising from 53.2 per 100,000 in 2021 to 62.2 per 100,000 in 2022. Particularly concerning is the 30.6% increase in congenital syphilis cases, which occur when a mother passes the infection to her baby during pregnancy, totaling over 3,700 cases in 2022.

Dr. Laura Bachmann, from the CDC’s National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, noted the severity of the situation, stating that such impacts of syphilis have not been faced in decades. However, the report did bring some positive news, indicating that while chlamydia and gonorrhea account for more cases than syphilis, their infection rates remained stable or decreased.

Although chlamydia cases stayed the same in 2022 at 1.6 million, with a rate of 495 cases per 100,000 persons, there was a 1.8% increase among men and a 1.8% decrease among women. Gonorrhea cases decreased for the first time since 2009, with a total of around 648,000 cases, primarily among women, down by 14.5%.

The report also highlighted that young adults aged 15-24 contributed to roughly half of reported chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis cases, with a higher likelihood of reported STDs among gay and bisexual men. Additionally, approximately 28% of syphilis cases in 2022 were infectious forms, shared by women and heterosexual men, indicating unintentional transmission within the cisgender heterosexual population due to limited testing and awareness.

The prevalence of syphilis, a treatable STD, had notably declined in the 1950s with the use of penicillin. However, total syphilis cases began increasing in 2012 and have continued to rise, especially the most infectious forms, indicating an annual increase. These elevated rates were observed across all gender groups, age ranges, and US regions, as well as in most racial/Hispanic ethnicity groups, particularly among non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native individuals.

The report also pointed out a potential link between the focus on COVID-19 during the pandemic and the surge in syphilis cases, suggesting underreporting of infections. It emphasized the likely persistence of these effects for several years, with indefinite knowledge of the pandemic’s full impact on sexually transmitted infections.

The CDC provided information on the symptoms of syphilis, particularly its infectious stages, ranging from sores at the infection site to skin rashes, swollen lymph glands, and various systemic effects.

In essence, the report sheds light on the worrisome surge in syphilis cases in the US, raising the importance of increased awareness, testing, and preventive measures to curb the spread of this sexually transmitted infection.