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Alaska experiencing largest syphilis outbreak in at least 40 years

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The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services announced that the state is experiencing its largest syphilis outbreak in at least 40 years.

A total of 75 cases of infectious syphilis were reported as of Oct. 22 in patients aged 18 to 76 years — most in Anchorage. According to the department, 66 infections occurred in men, including 55 in men who have sex with men (MSM). Two of the nine women infected were pregnant at the time of diagnosis, and eight were of childbearing age, the department said. In March, an infant was diagnosed with a probable case of congenital syphilis.

The department said it has requested help from the CDC to assist with outbreak response efforts. A response team is gathering information from health care providers, patients, patient records and community members.

The department provided a list of recommendations for physicians to follow to help contain the outbreak, including learning the number and gender of patients’ sexual partners, reporting all cases of syphilis and testing for pregnancy in any woman of childbearing age who is diagnosed with syphilis. It asked that clinicians who care for patients with STDs in Alaska complete a brief, anonymous survey at this link to help control the outbreak.

According to the CDC, if left untreated, syphilis can cause serious health problems including blindness, dementia and paralysis. In addition to being sexually transmitted, it can also spread from an infected mother to a fetus.

To lower the risk for syphilis, the CDC recommends that sexually active MSM, patients with HIV, patients who are taking pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention and patients whose partners have syphilis get tested regularly. It also recommends that all pregnant women get tested at their first prenatal visit to prevent congenital syphilis. – by Erin Michael

Reference:

Alaska Department of Health and Social Services. Update on Alaska’s ongoing syphilis outbreak. http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/Epi/Documents/phan/AKPHAN_20181023_Syphilis.pdf. Accessed October 30, 2018.