title: Enhanced surveillance of infectious syphilis in New Zealand sexual health clinics.
abstract: Following a rise in cases of infectious syphilis in New Zealand, national enhanced surveillance at sexual health clinics was initiated. All public sexual health clinics reported monthly on the number of cases seen, and completed a coded questionnaire on each case. Monthly reports to routine surveillance were compared and discrepancies reconciled. During 2011, 72 cases of infectious syphilis were reported. The majority (83%) were among men who have sex with men who were mainly infected in New Zealand and had an ethnic profile similar to all New Zealanders. Most heterosexual infections occurred overseas, among people of non-European non-Maori ethnicity. About half the cases had symptoms on presentation. Overall, 18% of men who have sex with men were HIV positive. Resurgent syphilis in New Zealand disproportionally affects men who have sex with men, amongst whom HIV is prevalent. Men who have sex with men should be aware of the risks and symptoms of syphilis and encouraged to have regular sexual health checks including serology testing. Control of syphilis should be included in the strategy to check HIV spread. Syphilis serology should continue to be part of routine immigration and antenatal screening, and where clinically indicated. Enhanced surveillance was easily initiated for an uncommon condition seen at sexual health clinics, and provided valuable information.
authors: Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors: Rebecca
authors: R
authors: Psutka
authors: Nigel
authors: N
authors: Dickson
authors: Sunita
authors: S
authors: Azariah
authors: Edward
authors: E
authors: Coughlan
authors: Jane
authors: J
authors: Kennedy
authors: Jane
authors: J
authors: Morgan
authors: Nicky
authors: N
authors: Perkins
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D018563:Disease Notification / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013587:Syphilis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013588:Syphilis Serodiagnosis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: New Zealand; Syphilis (Treponema pallidum); bacterial disease; epidemiology; men who have sex with men; surveillance