CNN —Disease detectives in Chicago say they have been seeing a worrisome trend: Patients complaining of unusual symptoms like vision and eye problems, headaches and hearing loss or dizziness caused by the sexually transmitted infection syphilis.
More than two-thirds of these patients (68%) lacked typical syphilis symptoms, like a rash or chancre sore, that might tip doctors off to the infection.
Syphilis cases are surging across the US.
In 2022, there were more than 207,000 syphilis cases reported, the highest number since the 1950s, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“There could just be an increase in untreated or inadequately treated patients, which is leading to more severe outcomes of syphilis,” Nham said.
Persons:
”, Amy Nham, Nham, “ They’re, —, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, ” Nham
Organizations:
CNN —, Intelligence Service Conference, Chicago Department of Public Health, US Centers for Disease Control, CNN, CNN Health, CDC
Locations:
Chicago, Atlanta