Cincinnati Health Department tackles syphilis outbreak

Clifton - The Cincinnati Health Department has launched an educational campaign about syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease that is spread through the exchange of bodily fluids, blood, semen or vaginal secreations.

The Health Department is taking action in response to the recent increase in syphilis cases during the last few years, especially in Hamilton County.

"In 2007 we had 56 cases. In 2008 we had 72, but in 2009, we had a major increase to 174 cases, that was an increase of 135 percent," said Dr. Lawrence Holditch, Medical Director at the Cincinnati Health Department.

The alarming statistics have prompted the Cincinnati Health Department to take action.

Health officials have sent out health alerts about the recent increase of syphilis cases to any practicing physician in Hamilton County. They've also hosted workshops for local physicians and nurses about the disease and how to properly test a patient.

"The idea is to get the fact out that we had this large increase in cases to the providers as quickly as possible, we sent them also to the emergency rooms that may be the first line for many of these cases," Holditch said.

"Unfortunately, the symptoms of syphilis do not present them self until late in the course of the disease. So a patient can acquire syphilis and not even know it," said Dr. David Schwartz, a board certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist who practices at The Christ Hosptial.

Syphilis can usually present itself as a painless sore or ulcer that shows up on the females cervix, vagina, or in the males' penis.

Schwartz says African American men and Latino men are three times more likely to have the disease.

According to the Cincinnati Health Department, 80 percent of syphilis cases in Hamilton County were African American men.

If syphilis is treated it is 100 percent curable, however, if it goes untreated, it can pose several life-threatening problems.

"One of the problems with syphilis if it becomes late, it's in your blood stream, and then it crosses the blood, brain barrier, which means it will then enter the brain and syphilis can cause blindness, syphilis can cause death if it is not treated," Schwartz said.

The best thing to do if you are sexually active is to get tested and to have your partner tested and to use condoms. Currently, the Cincinnati Health Department is currently offering free Syphilis testing at their main building on Burnett Avenue.