After the outbreak, Shawnee County accounted for more than a quarter of the syphilis cases in Kansas

A syphilis outbreak in Shawnee County now accounts for more than a quarter of all syphilis cases in Kansas this year.

“Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and Shawnee County Health Department (SCHD) worked together in response to an outbreak of person-to-person syphilis,” KDHE reports on its website. “Those affected reported experiencing homelessness, unstable housing and/or injecting or non-injecting drug use. The current epidemic affects both men and women.

KDHE reportable infectious disease statistics show 29 cases of primary syphilis and 51 cases of secondary syphilis so far this year in Shawnee County residents. Statewide, there were 122 cases of primary syphilis and 166 cases of secondary syphilis this year.

For 2024, Shawnee County accounts for approximately 24% of Kansas’ primary syphilis cases and approximately 31% of the state’s secondary syphilis cases.

An outbreak of syphilis in Shawnee County

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection that spreads through direct contact with wounds, during unprotected sex, and from a pregnant person to the fetus.

pox it has five stages: the primary stage involves wounds in various areas of the body; the secondary stage includes swollen lymph glands, smooth hair loss, and fever; the latent stage is when no symptoms appear; the tertiary phase is less frequent, but usually occurs only after 10-30 years with syphilis and is extremely dangerous; and without treatment, in some cases syphilis can reach the brain and cause neurosyphilis, ocular syphilis, and otosyphilis.

KDHE outbreak information shows that the local syphilis outbreak began in May 2023 and was reported to healthcare providers and local health departments. There was no press release informing the public of the outbreak or its end in July.

“KDHE has not distributed any press releases related to the syphilis outbreak in Shawnee County because it was limited to a specific population in the county and the general public was not at risk,” said Jill Bronaugh, spokeswoman for KDHE. “We used our Health Alert Network (HAN) system to keep local health departments and providers aware of the outbreak.”

A January 19 network alert from KDHE to local providers and health departments reported 146 confirmed cases of syphilis among Shawnee County residents between May and December 2023. This was “a 90 percent increase from the same period in 2022.”

Bronaugh said there are currently no syphilis outbreaks in Shawnee County or the state. However, the KDHE website still has syphilis listed in current outbreaks.

The outbreak affecting both men and women was notable because “historical outbreaks have primarily affected men who have sex with men.” Health officials said there is an indication that “the epidemiology of syphilis infection is evolving,” meaning that additional populations other than gay men “should be considered for testing and treatment.”

“The rate of syphilis among all individuals increased between 2017-2021, and there was an increase in primary and secondary syphilis among those reporting injecting and non-injecting drug use and those reporting having sex partners who use drugs,” KDHE said. said.

The City of Topeka’s media team declined to comment.

Hepatitis A outbreak passed after 123 cases in 2 years

Another long-term outbreak tracked by KDHE was declared over after two years.

KDHE reported that “the Shawnee County person-to-person hepatitis A outbreak was declared over on July 10, 2024, with a total of 123 cases.” The outbreak resulted in 39 hospitalizations, but no deaths.

The outbreak began in August 2022 and state health officials launch a dashboard in January 2024 to track the outbreak.

Hepatitis A is a contagious infection of the liver caused by a virus that can spread through sex or other close contact with an infected person and through contaminated food and water. In the Shawnee County outbreak, officials said it was spread through close personal contact, not through infected food, drink or food handlers.

Officials said the biggest risk factors were current or past drug use for both injection and non-injection drugs, homelessness, gang life and incarceration. KDHE data shows the outbreak peaked between October 2023 and January 2024.

Kansas has had 44 cases of hepatitis A statewide this year, 34 of which were in Shawnee County.

This article originally appeared on the Topeka Capital-Journal: Syphilis outbreak in Shawnee County infects 80 before ending