Syphilis rates increasing across Europe

New data by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) show that syphilis is on the increase in Europe.

In its Annual Epidemiological Report, the ECDC states that the prevalence of syphilis has increased from a rate of 4.1/100,000 in 2010 to 5.1/100,000 in 2014. Between 2010 and 2014, many countries, particularly in western Europe, saw a sharp upsurge in the number of reported syphilis infections. Prevalence jumped by more than 50% in Belgium, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Portugal and the United Kingdom. The highest rate was observed in Malta (11.5/100,000 population), followed by Lithuania (8.7), Iceland (7.7) and Spain (7.7). Rates below 2.5/100,000 population were observed in Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Slovenia.

The largest increases were seen in those aged 45 years or over. The proportion of cases in the over-45 age group rose from 18% to 30% between 2005 and 2014.

While the data show a marked increase of syphilis cases among men, cases among women have decreased. In 2014, the male-to-female ratio more than 6:1, with a rate of 8.3/100,000 in men compared to 1.3/100,000 in women.

Almost two-thirds of all cases fell into the men who have sex with men (MSM) transmission category, while 24% were heterosexual.
​
In a statement today (May 16 2016), the ECDC said promoting safe sexual behaviour and increasing testing rates among at-risk groups is essential to prevent cases and to reduce the complications of late stage infection. The agency also suggested that approaches that use social media and dating apps for prevention campaigns may be considered in addition to traditional approaches.

---