Taiwan reported this year’s second case of congenital syphilis amid a spike in sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.
A two-month-old infant was diagnosed with the disease earlier this month after being hospitalized with a 40°C fever, the CDC said.
The child’s parents tested positive for the disease and the family is undergoing treatment, it said.
Photo: Lin Hui-chin, Taipei Times
The mother had tested negative for syphilis in the 12th and 32nd weeks of her pregnancy, suggesting she might have been infected some time after the tests, the CDC said.
There were 9,841 new cases of syphilis and 8,257 new cases of gonorrhea last year, up 2 percent and 3 percent respectively from the previous year, with the increase higher in younger age groups, it said.
People aged 15 to 24 last year saw a 19 percent year-on-year increase in syphilis and a 7 percent year-on-year increase in gonorrhea, the CDC said.
Syphilis cases for females last year increased from 1,535 the previous year to 1,862, up 21 percent, while gonorrhea cases for females rose from 828 the previous year to 891, up 8 percent, the CDC said.
Women remain more likely to be STD-free than men, but female syphilis and gonorrhea cases were increasing at a faster pace, it said.
The nation has consistently reported one to two cases of congenital syphilis each year, with no signs of an increase, likely due to free checkups for expecting mothers and the tracking of suspected cases, it said.
Syphilis symptoms include painless genital ulcers and rashes, bumps on the skin, bones and organs, swelling of the aorta and nerve damage, it said, adding that infection can occur in pregnancy and cause a miscarriage or the child’s death.
Gonorrhea symptoms include pus in the urinary tract and painful urination, but are absent or inconspicuous in women, the CDC said.
Syphilis and gonorrhea are curable, but there is no lifelong immunity and it can spread through any unsafe sexual activity, it said.
People should use condoms with water-based lubricants during sexual activity, and those with STDs are urged to share their diagnosis with spouses and sexual partners to prevent further infections, the CDC said.
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