Syphilis surveillance in France, 2000-2003

Abstract

This article describes syphilis trends, characteristics of patients from 2000 to 2003 in France and trends of the benzylpenicillin benzathine 2.4 million UI sales from 2001 to 2003. The ongoing surveillance system for syphilis case reporting since 2001 has been set up in volunteer settings, mostly public settings where STI treatment is offered. Clinical case reporting is complemented by sexual behavioural data based on a self-administered questionnaire. From 2000 to 2003, 1089 syphilis cases were reported in France, increasing from 37 cases in 2000 to 428 in 2003. Overall, 96% of syphilis cases were in men with a mean age of 36.5 years and 70% of whom were born in France. The proportion of syphilis cases with HIV co-infection decreased over time from 60% in 2000 to 33% in 2003. The most affected area by the syphilis epidemic is the Ile-de-France region, mainly the city of Paris. The greatest proportion of syphilis cases diagnosed in men who have sex with men (MSM) were in the Ile-de-France region, where they made up 87% of cases, compared with 75% in other regions. Among the patients who completed the self-administered questionnaire on sexual behaviour, 83% reported having casual sex partners in the 3 months prior to their syphilis diagnosis. Trends in the sales of benzylpenicillin benzathine 2.4 million UI in private pharmacies are similar to those observed in the surveillance system, and increased between 2001 and 2003. In conclusion, syphilis transmission is still ongoing in France in 2003 and the role of unprotected oral sex in the transmission of syphilis should be emphasised.

Syphilis epidemiology in Sweden: re-emergence since 2000 primarily due to spread among men who have sex with men

“…Also MSM with current syphilis are 3.8 times more likely to have had more than ten sex-partners in the past 12 months than MSM without current syphilis. The change in sexual behaviour with more risk-taking practices is likely to have contributed to the recent increase in STIs in Europe [9,19,20,22]. This supports the need for improved preventive work with adapted health prevention messages and education for MSM.…”

“…It can be assumed that MSM to a larger extent choose to live in big cities since they assure more anonymity and less stigmatisation for MSM. Big cities also supply a meeting ground for sexual networks that facilitate the spread of STIs, as has been reported from other European Union countries [17][18][19][20]. A study in Sweden on risk factors for syphilis among MSM showed that current syphilis patients are 7.8 times more likely to have had syphilis in the last five years than MSM without current syphilis [21].…”

Evaluation of a PCR Test for Detection of Treponema pallidum in Swabs and Blood

“…Multiple complications of syphilis may appear, including gumma, neurosyphilis, and cardiovascular syphilis. There has been an increase in the frequency of early syphilis in most Western countries since 2000 (7), the affected population being characterized by a high proportion of men having sex with men (MSM) and the overrepresentation of HIV-infected patients (almost 50% in our experience) (11,12).…”

Heterologous Expression of theTreponema pallidumLaminin-Binding Adhesin Tp0751 in the Culturable SpirocheteTreponema phagedenis

“…An estimated 12 million new syphilis cases occur globally each year, the majority of which are in developing nations (20). In recent years, there has been a resurgence of syphilis in many developed countries, particularly among populations of men who have sex with men, with notable outbreaks spreading rapidly across North America, Europe, and Australia (1,8,11,25,44). Existing public health measures are not successfully controlling the spread of this disease, and alternative means of syphilis prevention are needed.…”