Officials blame social media and dating apps for spike of syphilis in Las Vegas
Nevada health officials say the rise is due to increased testing, anonymous sex linked to social media and less use of condoms
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Your support makes all the difference.A massive spike in the number of reported cases of syphilis in Las Vegas has caused concern for health officials as the state now claims the highest rate of infection on the West coast.
Sin City has seen an 128 per cent increase of early syphilis cases since 2012, with 615 of the 694 cases diagnosed last year involving men.
An early syphilis case is one that has been contracted over the past 12 months.
“We are considering this an outbreak because disease rates in our community are continuing to climb and we see no plateau at this point,” health district Chief Health Officer Dr Joe Iser said in a statement to the Las Vegas Review Journal.
The journal said health officials are investigating the cause, which is so far unclear.
However, CBS News reported that officials linked the spike to increased testing, a rise in anonymous sex linked to social media and less consistent use of condoms.
Elizabeth Adelman, a senior disease investigator for the health department in Las Vegas, said young people can use iPhones to find quick, easy access to meeting strangers online via apps like Tinder and Grindr.
Data in 2014 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found there has been a 15 per cent increase in syphilis cases in the US overall.
Syphilis can be spread sexually as well as from mother to child during pregnancy. Symptoms include painless, round sores, which can develop in later stages to skin rashes, fever, sore throat, hair loss, headaches and weight loss.
The disease can be cured with penicillin during the early stages, but if left untreated, symptoms can lead to paralysis and internal organ damage.
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