Syphilis rate rises in the US

Syphilis rates rose sharply in the United States last year, but rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea both fell, a new report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has shown.

Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2013,1 released by the CDC on 16 December, said that 17 375 cases of primary and secondary syphilis were reported overall in 2013, a rate of 5.5 cases in 100 000 people and a 10% increase from 2012. Men accounted for 91% of cases, and men who have sex with men (MSM) accounted …