A syphilis epidemic was declared in Houston after the number of infected women more than doubled since 2019.
The number of cases detected in this group in the fourth-largest US city rose 128% from 295 in 2019 to 674 last year, according to official data.
Since 2016, the number of people infected with congenital syphilis and fetal infections in the city has increased ninefold to about 150 per year.
Health officials are concerned because the disease can damage internal organs in developing infants and cause death or serious disability.
Dr. Foy Equiater, medical director of Houston’s Lifesavers emergency room, warned many Texans not to believe that sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have been nearly eradicated.
she said Fox 26: “We’ve gotten to the point where we think it’s eradicated. I always talk to people who say, ‘Is it still going on?’ yeah, I guess so. 』
In a warning, the Houston Department of Health said the number of cases of congenital syphilis, a disease of the fetus, has increased ninefold since 2016.
They said there were 16 reported cases in 2016, but by 2021, the latest available information, the number had reached 151.
Overall, the number of infected cases increased by 57% in three years from 1,845 in 2019 to 2,905 in 2022.
“It’s extremely important for pregnant women to get prenatal care and syphilis testing to protect themselves from infections that can kill their babies,” said Marlene Ward, deputy director of the department. said.
“Pregnant women should be tested for syphilis three times during pregnancy.”
Following the declaration, the ministry will waive all fees for STD testing at health centers in the city of 2.3 million people. She is also expanding her mobile STI/HIV testing clinics to help people get tested for illness.
The number of syphilis cases nationwide is also on the rise, with the latest available data showing a 32% increase from 2020 to 2021 alone.
Several Currently, 174,000 Americans are diagnosed with the disease each year, including nearly 3,000 fetuses. South Dakota will have the highest rate of syphilis in the nation in 2021, while Texas ranked 25th at the time.
It’s not clear what’s driving this trend, but experts say a decline in condom use and the rise of online dating, which may encourage more sexual encounters and riskier sex practices He says it may be related.
The disease is easily treated with antibiotics, and pregnant women are tested three times during pregnancy.
However, if left untreated, the disorder can damage internal organs in infants and cause death or permanent disability.
Here are five warning signs of infection to look out for.
multiple scars
Syphilis, most commonly transmitted sexually, is caused by a bacterium called Treponema pallidum.
The earliest warning sign is a concave ulcer known as a chancre on the mouth or genitals.
Many infected people develop only one sore, which is usually hard and painless.
A chancre usually develops 3 weeks after exposure to the bacteria, where the bacteria entered the body.
Jeffrey Klausner, former director of the San Francisco Department of Health’s STDs Prevention and Control Service, said: Washington Post “People may be unaware of obvious symptoms of syphilis,” he said.
A chancre can last up to 6 weeks and go away without treatment, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay.
rash on palms
If syphilis is left untreated, the disease can enter the second stage of infection.
Symptoms of secondary syphilis begin several weeks after the sores have healed. It usually consists of a rash.
The NHS describes the rash as ‘a non-itchy skin rash that can appear anywhere on the body but commonly appears on the palms and soles of the feet’.
Doctors may miss the signs because the rashes may be thin and hard to notice and may resemble rashes caused by other conditions, such as psoriasis or eczema.
Professor Klausner said doctors sometimes misdiagnose syphilis as a viral infection because “there are fewer and fewer syphilis experts”.
swollen glands
Syphilis can cause “swollen lymph nodes in painful areas” in the early stages of infection, according to Penn Medicine.
Swollen glands may persist in the second stage as bacteria continue to grow.
Swollen glands are a sign that your body is fighting an infection. The NHS says it usually gets better on its own within two weeks.
Common areas of swollen lymph nodes include the neck, under the chin, armpits, and groin.
Hair loss
Symptoms of syphilis are less common, but the disease can cause hair loss.
According to the NHS, it can look like “patchy hair loss on the head, beard and eyebrows”.
According to a 2013 study published by the National Institutes of Health, the frequency of hair loss due to secondary syphilis only ranges from 2.9% to 7%.
This most common type of hair loss is a “worm-eaten” pattern, non-scarring alopecia that can affect other areas of the scalp.
However, hair loss does not last long, and studies show that “alopecia usually resolves within three months with proper treatment for syphilis.”
flu-like symptoms
Another red flag to look out for is flu-like symptoms that can persist during the second stage of infection.
These symptoms usually go away without treatment, but if an infected person goes untreated for syphilis, it can enter the third stage of the disease.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the “incubation period”, where there are no visible signs or symptoms, can last for years.
Tertiary syphilis can develop within 30 years after infection.
It can be fatal and can affect multiple organ systems including the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones and joints.
What are other signs of syphilis?
At any stage of infection, the disease can invade the nervous system (neurosyphilis), the visual system (ocular syphilis), the auditory system and/or the vestibular system (osteosyphilis).
According to the CDCP, signs of neurosyphilis include:
- severe headache;
- I have problems with muscle movement.
- Weakness or paralysis (inability to move certain parts of the body).
- numbness; and
- Altered mental status (poor concentration, confusion, personality changes) and/or dementia (memory, thinking, and/or decision-making problems).
Signs of ocular syphilis include:
- sore or red eyes.
- Floating spots in the field of view (“floaters”).
- Hypersensitivity to light.and
- Changes in vision (even blurred vision and blindness).
Signs and symptoms of bone syphilis include:
- hearing loss;
- Tinnitus, buzzing, roaring, hissing (“tinnitus”).
- balance difficulty.and
- Dizziness or dizziness.
