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Arizona Syphilis Cases Reach Outbreak Proportions

At the most recent count, the number of syphilis cases in Arizona was deemed to be at the level of outbreak proportions.

“We have seen an increase, and what we’ve done this year is we did declare an outbreak among women and babies inflicted with syphilis in our state,” said Dr. Eugene Livar, interim bureau chief of Epidemiology and Disease Control for Arizona Department of Health Services.

Already in 2018, eight babies have died from the sexually transmitted disease in Arizona, which doubles the 2017 total and quadruples the number from 2016. 


“We’re trying to get the word out and spread the message to protect yourself and to get tested and be aware of your status,” Livar said.

Syphilis can be detected through blood tests and can be cured through antibiotics.

There have been a total of 45 babies born this year with the infection in Arizona, including the eight that suffered fatal effect.

Those that are born with it and survive end up spending an average of 10 days in the hospital, and suffer from lasting effects that include joint, skin, eyes, ears and brain issues.

The effects in untreated adults include damage to the brain, nerves, eyes, blood vessels, liver, bones and joints. 

There has been a 253 percent increase in monthly syphilis cases among Arizona women since January 2015. The result has been 637 women having contracted the disease in 2018. 

Abstinence is the most effective method for avoiding contracting the disease, but there are also additional ways that work. 

“Please remember that STDs can be prevented through using condoms when having any type of sex, reducing the number of partners you have and getting tested and treated for STDs,” he said. 

The initial sign of syphilis is a painless sore that goes away after a few weeks. The sores can later return if treatment isn’t provided, with other signs consisting of swollen lymph nodes, hair loss and skin rash. 

For many, those signs can go unrecognized due to the fact that the issues may appear on parts of the body that are difficult to see or the signs may be mild in nature.

“With syphilis infections you may not have any symptoms at all, and that’s one of the reasons you want to take those preventative steps to protect yourself,” Livar said.