Public Health Officials, Physicians Developing Innovative Strategies To Curb Spread Of Syphilis

NBC News (9/8, Bajaj) reports syphilis “was nearly eliminated in the U.S. at the beginning of the 21st century but has made a dramatic comeback.” In 2022, the CDC “reported more than 200,000 syphilis cases – the highest counts since 1950.” The return of the disease “is the result, experts say, of poorly funded prevention programs over the past two decades and difficulties in diagnosis; syphilis is referred to as the ‘great imitator’ because its symptoms can vary so widely.” As syphilis cases rise, physicians “and public health officials are starting to develop innovative and sometimes unconventional strategies to screen people for syphilis and curb the spread of the disease.” Oftentimes, “that comes down to figuring out how to get people tested, a task that’s far easier said than done.”