New Hampshire health officials identified 42 cases of syphilis in the state from January through May this year. The number is double that of what the state typically sees for these months.
Approximately 60 percent of cases have occurred in Hillsborough and Rockingham counties. The majority of cases occurred among men under the age of 40 years and in men who have sex with men.
"Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that can have serious health consequences if left untreated, but it can be cured when a person is diagnosed and given the right antibiotics," said Benjamin Chan, MD, state epidemiologist with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. "Syphilis was close to being eliminated in the United States back in 2000, but over the last decade it has been making a resurgence, and unfortunately, New Hampshire is not immune to the impact of increasing STDs."
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