Concerning Jump in Minnesota Syphilis Cases
St. Paul, MN (KROC-AM News) - Minnesota health officials are expressing concern about a sharp rise in the number of syphilis cases among Minnesota women.
The State Health Department says preliminary data for last year shows there was a 63-percent increase from 2014 and noted Minnesota has not seen this many reported cases of syphilis in women in over two decades.
The jump occurred primarily among women of child-bearing age in all racial and ethnic groups, including pregnant women. Over 85-percent of the cases were in the Twin Cities area, but the data also shows about half of the cases involving pregnant women were in Greater Minnesota.
Untreated, the sexually-transmitted disease can be a serious health threat and can lead to blindness, brain damage, heart problems and even death. For pregnant women, the infection can be passed on to infants and can result in stillbirth or premature birth.
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