The sexually transmitted infection which was once almost non-existent in China has become a burgeoning problem in at least two large metropolitan areas, so much that syphilis has surpassed gonorrhea in at least two cities.

I reported in May that the mega city of Shanghai the epidemic of syphilis has spread so far that it surpassed all other sexually transmitted infections (STI).

Now syphilis has passed gonorrhea as the most common STI in the city of Beijing. According to a report released by the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau, reported syphilis cases in the city increased by 21% last year alone.

Syphilis cases have grown by an average of 17.51 percent every year from 2004 to 2009. The most affected age groups are 20 to 39-year-olds, followed by 50-plus years of age.

To combat the syphilis problem the city will soon provide free checkup and treatment of syphilis at community clinics.

One of the most tragic things about this burgeoning epidemic is that there is no mandatory screening for STI’s like syphilis for pregnant women. The result is that every hour a baby born in China is born with syphilis.

According to the official report from the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau, the three high-risk groups based on sentinel surveillance results of clinics in the capital city: prostitutes, male homosexuals and drug users.

In the United States, syphilis ranks behind both gonorrhea and Chlamydia as the most common STIs.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium, Treponema pallidum. The most common way to get syphilis is by having sexual contact (oral, genital or anal) with an infected person. The secondary lesions are also infective and contact with them could transmit the bacteria. It can also be transmitted from an infected mother to her baby (congenital transmission). It can also be transmitted through blood transfusion, though extremely rare because of testing of donors.

http://www.examiner.com/infectious-disease-in-national/syphilis-tops-gonorrhea-as-top-sti-large-chinese-cities