Health warning issued over rise in syphilis cases

The Department of Health has issued a health warning after latest figures showed that syphilis continues to effect a large number of people in Northern Ireland.

Seventeen new cases, which have occurred since the beginning of the year, are linked to the outbreak of the disease two years ago. This compares to a figure of one case a year previous to 2001.

Commenting on the figures, Dr Lorraine Doherty, Senior Medical Officer at the department, said: “The continued rise in cases of syphilis here is of concern. Syphilis is a serious infection with many negative consequences, particularly in pregnancy. Effective treatment is available and anyone who thinks they may have been at risk of syphilis should contact their local genito-urinary medicine clinic or their GP as soon as possible.”

Dr Doherty revealed that the majority of cases to date have occurred in homosexual liaisons.

However, she warned that cases of the disease in heterosexual men and women are also on the rise.

"Syphilis can be prevented by practicing ‘safe sex’ and by using a condom for all types of sexual intercourse, including oral sex,” she said.

In the 15 years prior to 2001 only one or two new cases of infectious syphilis would have been recorded in Northern Ireland. However, numbers have risen dramatically with over 60 cases of infectious syphilis diagnosed since July 2001.

Some of these can be linked to a much larger outbreak of syphilis in Dublin, primarily in homosexual men.

(MB)