Strange symptoms in syphilis cases are appearing sooner and in higher incidence rates than normal, CNN reported April 26.
Syphilis prevalence has been rising for at least 12 years, and HHS recently deemed the sexually transmitted disease part of a "surging epidemic." Chicago Department of Public Health researchers lately noted an uptick in NOO syphilis — or neurosyphilis, ocular syphilis and otosyphilis — which can permanently damage a patient's vision and hearing, and cause psychiatric changes.
Typically, NOO syphilis happens when the infection has been untreated and undiagnosed for years. In Chicago last year, researchers reported 28 cases, and about one-third were in the early stages of infection.
"Providers definitely need to be screening more and be aware that this is what we're seeing," Amy Nham, PharmD, lead study author and CDC epidemic intelligence service officer, told CNN.
The most common symptoms included headaches, vision loss, sensitivity to light, swelling in the eye and personality changes or altered mental status.
"They're not the most specific symptoms, which is why it's really important that providers are doing appropriate screening and asking patients for risk factors" and their sexual history, Dr. Nham told CNN.