An increasing number of Victorians are being infected with syphilis, the health department warns.
Deputy chief health officer Brett Sutton on Thursday issued a warning to women, and men who have sex with men, that the sexually transmitted disease was on the rise.
"Syphilis infection increases both susceptibility to acquiring and transmissibility of HIV infection," the warning states.
More than 1330 cases of infectious syphilis were identified in Victoria in 2017, up from 949 cases in 2015, the health department reported.
Congenital syphilis has also re-emerged in Victoria for the first time since 2004 with two cases notified in 2017 with one resulting in fetal death, Dr Sutton said.
Share
