Syphilis surge in North West prompts warning to look for early symptoms

An upsurge of syphilis in the North West has prompted the region's health protection agency to tell doctors and dentists to be on the lookout for early symptoms.

The agency's annual report revealed that 499 cases of syphilis were reported in 2005, up from 344 in 2004 and 261 in 2003. Nearly half (49 per cent) of the 2005 cases were reported by three Manchester clinics.

Of the 327 cases reported in Greater Manchester as a whole, 101 patients were also HIV positive.

Out of 104 cases reported in Cumbria and Lancashire, 43 were from a clinic in Blackpool and 27 were HIV positive. Ten of the 68 cases in Cheshire and Merseyside were HIV positive.

Nearly 10 per cent of patients said they met partners via the internet, but most said they contracted the infection from people they met in pubs, clubs or saunas.

Dr Lorraine Lighton, the agency's regional sexual health lead, said HPA North West was strengthening its surveillance and reminding doctors and dentists of the symptoms to look out for.

She said: 'Syphilis was so rare when most practising doctors were at medical school that it is not likely to be the first thing to spring to mind.'

But she added: 'Many people with syphilis will have no obvious symptoms so this is a particular challenge for health services.'

Dr Lighton said many people diagnosed with syphilis last year also had another sexually transmitted infection. 'When you add gonorrhoea and chlamydia to the mix of diseases, we have a major problem on our hands.'