Figures from the B-C Centre for Disease Control show the rate of syphilis infections in B-C is the highest it has been in 30 years. Just over 900 new cases of the sexually transmitted disease were reported last year — a 33 per cent leap in a year. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says rates of syphilis had been falling for some time but more women, gay and bisexual men are reporting the illness. A syphilis outbreak was declared in Alberta in July while rates have also jumped in Saskatchewan and Manitoba — and Henry says it’s time the public became more proactive about testing and treatment.
