LAS VEGAS (AP) - Southern Nevada consistently ranks high for STD rates, but health officials are stepping up public education campaigns because Clark County has the highest rates of syphilis in the nation.
Clark County ranked first in the nation for syphilis rates per capita in 2017, the Las Vegas Sun reported .
The number of reported cases of syphilis in the county is steadily increasing, with nine cases having been reported in 2016, 20 cases reported in 2017 and 24 reported in 2018, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection that can be cured with antibiotics if identified early on.
“It’s a disease that impacts human nature, and left untreated, it can cause a lot of problems for your health and for babies,” said Marlo Tonge, a communicable diseases manager at the Southern Nevada Health District.
The infection can lead to complications in the long-term, including meningitis, dementia, blindness and hepatitis, University Medical Center Dr. Alireza Farabi said.
Health department officials say millions of international tourists flock to Las Vegas each year, spreading disease of all kinds and leading to the particularly high rate in Clark County. The region also has a high incidence of illegal, unregulated prostitution and a large homeless and indigent population, who are at a much higher risk of contracting STDs.
Other at-risk populations include individuals in their 20s and members of the LGBT community, particularly transgender people and men who have sex with men, said Vince Collins, director of operations at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada.
“As a community, we need to decide that this is a really important thing for everybody to get behind so we can come off that list,” Collins said.
___
Information from: Las Vegas Sun, http://www.lasvegassun.com
Please read our comment policy before commenting.