OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The Douglas County Health Department (DCHD) is urging doctors to consider a particular STD when testing patients in Douglas County. They say diagnoses have increased and that all mothers should be routinely tested for it.
DCHD says the rate of syphilis cases is on the rise and that some patients may be at "an increased risk."
They are:
"Men who have sex with men, anyone with a sexual partner who has been recently diagnosed with syphilis, living with HIV and sexually active, or taking Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention."
DCHD says patients should be treated according to Center for Disease Control guidelines and that all positive cases should be reported to the health department.
The DCHD says to consider these items in regards to syphilis:
- Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at higher risk for syphilis. Receptive partners often do not exhibit obvious primary syphilis symptoms. Please test all of your patients that identify as MSM.
- Patients with a previous history of syphilis may continue to have a positive IgG or RPR test. It is imperative to compare prior RPR results to distinguish new infections from previously treated infections. A four-fold decrease in the RPR 6-12 months after treatment will verify appropriate treatment.
- All pregnant women should be routinely screened for syphilis. Positive prenatal RPR results must be confirmed with further testing. *Treatment of syphilis in a pregnant woman must begin no later than one month prior to delivery.
- Routine testing of high risk patients will ensure appropriate treatment should an infection occur without signs or symptoms. Patients having a negative lab within 12 months will require only one dose of Bicilin (Benzathine penicillin) and those without negative labs in the prior 12 months will require three doses.
- Occasional overlap of primary and secondary symptoms may occur. Please include this observation when reporting.
You can read the full DCHD release at the following link: