Dr Sunita Azariah One hundred and fifty two cases of infectious syphilis, mostly amongst gay and bisexual men, were managed by the Auckland Regional Sexual Health Service in 2015, the largest number reported in recent decades. Syphilis is a serious infection that often does not cause obvious symptoms but over time can cause damage to the nervous system. Reporting the surge in syphilis cases, Dr Sunita Azariah of the Auckland Sexual Health Service says the increase is concerning as syphilis can enhance transmission and acquisition of HIV. “It is important that all people at risk of sexually transmitted infections are tested for syphilis and that sexually active gay and bisexual men in particular are tested regularly.” And, she says, health professionals need to be made aware of who and when to test, and to refer or discuss any suspected cases with a specialist service as management of syphilis requires significant expertise. “Control of this syphilis outbreak requires provision of resource for a dedicated public health response, including regular screening of those at risk, timely treatment to reduce onward transmission, rigorous contact tracing and close follow-up of treated individuals to check for possible re-infection.”
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 16th December 2016 - 9:20am