Syphilis Rate Drops in US, Climbs in Detroit

While syphilis rates are falling around the country, Detroit is among a handful of places where they are rising. "Detroit is unique," said Mark Wilson, a program director for the Detroit Health Department. Nationally, syphilis tends to show up in young women in their 20s and young men in their 30s. In Detroit, the disease is showing up in individuals ages 25-55, across economic and geographic sectors. "It is in every socioeconomic group, from your homeless population to your executives," Wilson said.

Because there is no clear-cut group more at-risk than others, prevention programs are particularly challenging in Detroit. The health department is intensifying its efforts to train medical personnel to recognize the disease. Currently, federal, state and city governments are spending about $2.5 million on syphilis efforts in Detroit.

The last big rise in syphilis in Detroit was in the early 1990s. In 1991, the city had 1,088 cases, and crack cocaine and the sex trade contributed to much of the increase. With stepped up prevention efforts, cases fell to 94 in 1997, Wilson said. In 1998, the CDC launched a national plan to eliminate syphilis, and rates decreased 10 percent between 1999 and 2000. But in Detroit, 189 cases were reported in 1999 and 274 in 2000. This year, health officials are anticipating 325 to 350 cases.

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