GoErie: Erie’s extended syphilis outbreak sets another record for cases

SOURCE: GoErie

Erie County continues to struggle with an extended syphilis outbreak, as cases of the sexually transmitted disease surged again in 2022 to the highest number in at least 32 years.

The Erie County Department of Health reported 61 syphilis cases in 2022, surpassing the 48 cases reported in 2021. These are the county’s two highest annual totals since at least 1990, the earliest year records are available.

“It’s all about the power of awareness. We quit talking about syphilis in 1949 and now we are seeing numbers like we haven’t seen in more than 30 years,” said Natalie Miller, vice president of clinical operations for Adagio Health, which treats STDs at medical offices throughout western Pennsylvania, including one in Erie. “It was the sleeping monster that woke up.”

Article by David Bruce, Erie-Times News