‘Urgent’ outbreak of syphilis as pandemic sees cases rise – the 7 symptoms you need to know

SYPHILIS cases around the world have risen as countries open up again and romances are struck up once more.

Currently Ireland is having an outbreak, with “urgent action” required to tackle it.

In England, – the centre of the capital is the hotspot, with the borough City of London the worst hit.

Following are Brighton and Hove (South East), Blackpool (North West), Stockton-on-Tees (North East), Stoke-on-Trent (West Midlands), Leicester (East Midlands), Bournemouth (South West), Cambridge (East) and Hambleton (Yorkshire).

Cases have also risen in Australia and the US as countries ease up on Covid restrictions.

Melbourne saw a 220 per cent rise in women in May as citizens got back to business, and US has seen a steady increase for years.

In Ireland, the majority of cases has been seen in men, the Health Service Executive (HSE) said – coinciding with the country slowly opening up.

A statement said: “There is a potentially large undiagnosed reservoir of syphilis infection in Ireland due in part to the impact of Covid-19.

“Syphilis is a very treatable sexually transmitted infection (STI) and early recognition and treatment are critical to preventing avoidable morbidity for those infected and onward transmission to others.

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“If an infection remains untreated, it can cause serious health problems to the heart, brain, eyes and nervous system.

“Primary, secondary and early latent syphilis are sexually infectious and are collectively termed EIS.

“Syphilis can also be passed from mother to foetus in utero, known as congenital syphilis.”

Syphilis is a curable bacterial infection that can cause headaches, joint pains, tiredness and fever.

It’s sometimes known as the ‘French disease’ as the first written records of an outbreak occurred in 15th Century Naples, following a French invasion during the Italian War of 1494-98.

The bacterial infection is typically caught after close contact with an infected sore.

Symptoms include:

• A small, painless sore or ulcer called a chancre will first be spotted, for sufferers of primary syphilis. Most people only have one sore, but some people have several, and you may also have swollen glands in your neck, groin or armpits

A few weeks after these initial symptoms, those with syphilis may experience…

• A blotchy red rash that can appear anywhere on the body, but often develops on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
• Small skin growths (similar to genital warts) – on women these often appear on the vulva and for both men and women they may appear around the anus
• White patches in the mouth
• Flu-like symptoms, such as tiredness, headaches, joint pains and a high temperature (fever)
• Swollen glands
• Occasionally, patchy hair loss

Sexually active people are encouraged to take regular STI tests.

If you believe you have contracted the infection, it’s advisable to visit your GP as soon as possible.

The quicker syphilis is treated, the easier it is for your body to fight off the contagion.