Syphilis

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacteria Treponema pallidum. Syphilis is spread by direct contact with a syphilis chancre/lesion, which occur mainly on the external genitals, vagina, anus or in the rectum. Lesions can also occur on the lips and in the mouth. Transmission occurs during vaginal, anal or oral sex. In addition, an infected mother can pass syphilis to her baby during pregnancy or delivery.

Lesions are often not recognized, thus most transmission is caused by people who are unaware of their infection. If syphilis is not treated early, it can progress to cause complications of the nervous system, cardiovascular system or tissue destruction of any organ. For more information, see the health unit's Syphilis Fact Sheet.

When the number of cases of a disease is less than five for one or more years, it is health unit policy to combine the data for multiple years. Simcoe Muskoka has had three to 17 cases of syphilis each year between 2000 and 2008 for a total of 77 cases in this time period. The Simcoe Muskoka incidence rate is lower than the Ontario rate:

• The Simcoe Muskoka incidence rate varied between 0.7 and 3.4 cases per 100,000 population between 2000 and 2008 (Data Sources: iPHIS; Population Estimates and Projections 2000-08, Ontario MOHLTC, Provincial Health Planning Database (PHPDB) Extracted March 2009).
• The Ontario incidence rate varied between 2.5 and 15.6 cases per 100,000 population between 2000 and 2008 (Data Sources: iPHIS; RDIS; Population Estimates and Projections 2000-08, Ontario MOHLTC, Provincial Health Planning Database (PHPDB) Extracted March 2009)