Canada: Officials Raise Syphilis Alert as Cases Climb

Ottawa health officials are concerned that syphilis numbers, which have increased for the second straight year, are climbing because people have stopped practicing safe sex. An alert placed on the City of Ottawa health Web site reminds sexually active men and women to be tested if they think they are at risk. In the mid-1990s, there were entire years that passed without a reported case in Ottawa. But over the past few years, case numbers have increased suddenly.

Eleven cases of syphilis have been diagnosed so far this year, said Dr. Mary Gordon of Ottawa's Sexual Health Center Clinic. The majority of cases were identified among men who have sex with men. Last year's numbers were on a par with this year, she said. In 2001, there were six reported cases.

Gordon said the syphilis alert is meant to remind people to be vigilant about safe sex this summer. More cases of other STDs, like gonorrhea and chlamydia, are also being detected. "With most STDs, the highest number of cases tend to occur in the summer months," Gordon said.

The alert also comes as the biennial Congress of the International Society for Sexually Transmitted Diseases Research meets in Ottawa, from July 27-30.

There were four times as many syphilis cases in Canada in 2002 as there were in 1997, said Dr. Janice Mann of Health Canada's sexual health and STD section. The highest rates are found among men ages 30-39. In 2002, there were 1.5 cases of syphilis per 100,000 people, according to preliminary data. This number is up from .4 cases per 100,000 five years ago.

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