Outbreak of Primary and Secondary Syphilis - Guilford County, North Carolina, 1996-1997 Syphilis outbreak in North Carolina points to need for increased vigilance.

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1998. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Outbreak of Primary and Secondary Syphilis - Guilford County, North Carolina, 1996-1997 Syphilis outbreak in North Carolina points to need for increased vigilance.

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: December 18, 1998/ Vol. 47/ No. 49/ p. 1070

Despite dramatic declines in the national rate of primary and secondary syphilis cases to an all time low of 3.2 per 100,000 in 1997, the rate (40.5) for Guilford County was over 10 times higher than the Healthy People 2000 goal for the nation. From 1994 to 1997, Guilford County experienced a 147% increase in primary and secondary syphilis cases. In response to this outbreak, the Guilford County Health Department, North Carolina Division of Epidemiology, and CDC found that missed opportunities for syphilis screening and treatment in jails, increased exchange of sex for money or drugs, and substantial rates of co-infection with syphilis and HIV among those tested were associated with the increases in syphilis rates. These findings underscore the critical need for increased screening and treatment in jails and other high-risk settings. Sustained efforts for targeted local outreach, treatment, and prevention are necessary to achieve the goal of syphilis elimination in the United States.

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