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Rising syphilis rates in Canada, 2011-2020
Josephine Aho1, Cassandra Lybeck1, Ashorkor Tetteh1
1Centre for Communicable Diseases and Infection Control, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON.
Summary
Syphilis rates in Canada have significantly increased, particularly among females and in congenital cases. These evolving trends highlight an urgent need for further research into the drivers of these public health concerns.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Syphilis rates pose a significant public health concern in Canada.
- Multiple Canadian jurisdictions have reported syphilis outbreaks in recent years.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe trends in infectious and congenital syphilis in Canada between 2011 and 2020.
- To analyze changes in syphilis epidemiology over a ten-year period.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Canadian Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (CNDSS).
- Incorporated enhanced surveillance data from the Syphilis Outbreak Investigation Coordinating Committee (SOICC) starting in 2018.
- Performed descriptive analyses by age, sex, pregnancy status, male sexual orientation, and province/territory.
Main Results:
- Infectious syphilis rates surged from 5.1 to 24.7 per 100,000 population (2011-2020).
- Dramatic increases observed in Prairie provinces (>400% from 2016-2020).
- Rates among females (15-39 years) increased by 773% (2016-2020); congenital syphilis cases rose to 50 in 2020 from 4 in 2016.
Conclusions:
- Infectious and congenital syphilis rates represent a growing public health concern in Canada.
- The epidemiology of syphilis in Canada appears to be evolving.
- Further research is necessary to understand the drivers of these changing syphilis trends.
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