Syphilis in Ottawa: An evolving epidemic

Abstract

Background: The incidence of infectious syphilis in Canada has declined throughout the latter decades of the last century; however, in Ottawa, an upsurge in new cases began in 2001. The local epidemic continues to involve predominantly gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM), but in recent years, has expanded further into heterosexual populations. This has coincided with an increase in the number of pregnant women testing positive for syphilis on antenatal screening. The aim of this study is to understand the changing epidemiology in infectious syphilis cases diagnosed in Ottawa to strengthen primary care management and public health response. Methods: Surveillance data from the Ontario Ministry of Health were used to describe the evolving epidemiology of infectious syphilis in the Ottawa region from 2010 to 2019, including a comprehensive chart review of cases from 2015–2019. Results: The number of cases of infectious syphilis in Ottawa rose from 50 cases in 2010 to 171 cases in 2019. These rates were consistently high among males, and increased from 10.9/100,000 in 2010 to 30.9/100,000 in 2019. The rates among females, in comparison, increased from 0.4/100,000 in 2010 to 3.2/100,000 in 2019, with corresponding increases during antenatal screening (with no congenital syphilis cases to date). Conclusion: As the syphilis epidemic continues to evolve in Ottawa, ongoing surveillance plays a crucial role. Public health resources must address the needs of populations already impacted but at the same time be flexible enough to respond to changes in trends and support clinicians providing care to populations where the epidemic is emerging.

Keywords

• syphilis
• syphilis priority groups
• antenatal syphilis
• surveillance data