Newfoundland seeing 'tremendous increase' in syphilis cases

A darkfield micrograph of Treponema pallidum, the bacterium that causes syphilis. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Eastern Health in Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting a sudden spike in the number of cases of infectious syphilis among men in the eastern half of the province.

The health authority says in the first three months of this year, there have already been 15 cases of the sexually transmitted disease, compared to 26 cases in all of last year.

Most of the new cases involve men, between the ages of 20 and 49, who have had sex with men. Ten of the men are also infected with HIV.

Dr. David Allison, the medical officer of health for Eastern Health, says health officials are warning the public about the outbreak to remind them to protect themselves and their partners from infection by using condoms and adhering to safer sex practices.

Allison says it's difficult to know what has caused the sudden uptick in new infections this year. Health officials used to see just a few people each year, he says, and most of those had a limited number of recent sexual contacts.

"But over the last year and a bit, we've seen a tremendous increase in the number of cases but also in the amount of work that goes into tracing contacts," he told NTV News earlier this week.

Syphilis can usually be cured with antibiotics, but left untreated, the disease can cause permanent nerve damage, dementia, and death.

The disease typically causes an open sore or ulcer at the point of infection in the genitals or mouth. Those ulcers then make it easier for HIV to be passed back or forth between partners, says Allison.

Since many men who have sex with men also have female sexual partners, there is a potential danger for women in eastern Newfoundland from this outbreak, he says.

"One of the challenges and concerns we have is, if it gets into the heterosexual population, we could see infants infected at birth," says Allison. Infected infants can develop congenital syphilis which can cause birth defects or stillbirth.

The symptoms of syphilis begin anywhere from 10 to 90 days after infection, though the average is 21 days.

Along with the open sores, syphilis typically causes a flu-like illness, with muscle aches and fatigue. A rash can then develop on the chest, back, palms and feet.

But for reasons not well understood, some of those infected don't show any symptoms. Eastern Health says consistent use of latex condoms is the best way to prevent transmission.