Syphilis cases rose sharply last year in Minnesota, including among newborns infected by their mothers, according to the state’s annual report on sexually transmitted disease.
According to the Minnesota Department of Health, syphilis cases were up 33 percent in 2021, with 1,457 cases reported. Fifteen cases of so-called congenital syphilis in infants were reported, a 115 percent increase over 2020, when seven cases were logged.
The MDH on Wednesday said the upward trend in syphilis in the state mirrors the one nationally.
The report noted an outbreak of the disease in the Duluth area and a sustained increase in Cass and Beltrami counties of north-central Minnesota. New infections were also noted in the Twin Cities, particularly among men who have sex with men.
Untreated syphilis can cause blindness, dementia and even death.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, STDs remained at near historic high levels in Minnesota, with 33,706 cases reported in 2021 compared with 33,245 in 2020 — a 1 percent increase.
The MDH report said chlamydia remained the No. 1 reported sexually transmitted disease in the state last year, with 22,578 cases reported, a 3 percent increase. Most of the cases — 59 percent — occurred among teens and young adults.
Gonorrhea remained the second most reported STD, with 9,671 cases in 2021, a 5 percent decrease. That followed a substantial increase in 2020.
The MDH said newly diagnosed HIV infections rose 8 percent, with 298 cases reported in 2021 compared with 275 in 2019.
Nearly two-thirds of the new infections were in communities of color. Overall, nearly 9,700 Minnesotans were living with HIV/AIDS in 2021.
The 2020 HIV data was set aside due to pandemic-caused disruptions in testing and diagnosis that year. Overall, the Health Department said comparing STD rates could be problematic because the pandemic’s effects on sexual behavior are still not entirely clear.
“What we do know is that the rates of syphilis are troubling, especially the rise in congenital syphilis (CS), or when a pregnant person passes syphilis to an infant,” said Christine Jones, STD, HIV and TB section manager. “CS can cause low birth weight, harm or death to an infant if not treated. It is preventable when it’s caught early. We are encouraging people to get tested regularly for STDs, especially if they are pregnant.”
For information on STDs in Minnesota, including testing resources, go to bit.ly/3nsSQW5.
Discovered on: 2022-06-30 03:49:20
Source: MN syphilis cases up as pandemic clouds overall trends in STDs
