Syphilis cases in South Dakota are up by nearly 2,000%
South Dakota is seeing a sharp rise in syphilis cases, the Department of Health is reporting, with cases spreading across the state.
The highest number of infections are occurring in the state's two largest counties, Pennington and Minnehaha, along with Oglala and Todd counties.
Other sexually transmitted diseases are also spreading, but the rise in syphilis has been the most dramatic, in part because of the small number of infections that represented the base number. Year to date, the department has reported 257 new infections, up by 1,877%. The five-year median during that period is 13 cases.
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Angela Cascio, the infectious disease director and deputy administrator of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, said risk factors have included Intravenous drug use, substance abuse, unstable housing and a history of incarceration.
"The DOH is also very concerned about pregnant women that have tested positive for syphilis, so we are working closely with healthcare providers for awareness and testing of pregnant women," Cascio said.
Infections have been distributed evenly among women and men, Cascio said.
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The increasing cases even have prompted the Union Gospel Mission in Sioux Falls to partner with the department to offer testing.
“This disease can be heartbreaking for individuals who contract it and are not treated,” Union Gospel CEO Eric Weber said in a release. “The homeless we serve are considered at high risk for syphilis. The willingness of the Department of Health to help UGM provide men, women and their families with this testing will help these vulnerable people feel safe and get treatment if needed.”
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The department has been working with shelters, correctional facilities, Indian Health Services and others to assist with testing, treatment and education, Cascio said. They've also been contact tracing those how have had close contact with someone who has been infected.
"The SDDOH has also released health alert messages to health care providers to increase their awareness, encourage testing, and has also provided treatment guidance," she said.
Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also reported an increase in syphilis. Provisional data from 2021 show cases are up 34% among women and 9% among men. Some of that can be attributed, Cascio said, because of disruptions in testing and treatment during the coronavirus pandemic.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Syphilis cases in South Dakota skyrocket, DOH is helping test homeless
