Ohio: CDC to Help Franklin County With its Syphilis Problem

In the three years since CDC identified Franklin County, Ohio, as a syphilis hotspot, the situation has gotten worse. Reported cases of syphilis in the county, where Columbus is located, are up 14 percent over last year, health officials said. In 1999, the CDC said the county was one of 28 in the nation that accounted for half of all US syphilis cases. The CDC is sending the county $150,000 to hire one full-time and one part-time employee devoted to sexual health work. Columbus must increase public education efforts, said Merry Krempasky, director of sexual health at the Columbus Health Department. One idea under consideration is a prominent campaign to alert those at risk -- especially within the gay community, where cases are increasing.

Back to other CDC news for September 23, 2002

Previous Updates