As Expected Last Year... Over Half of 2,790 Syphilis Patients Were '20s and 30s, Male'

According to the usual trend, among last year's patients, those in their 20s and 30s and males accounted for about 60-70% of the total.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's Integrated Disease Control Information System on the 15th, the final confirmed number of syphilis patients from January to December last year was 2,790, with an incidence rate of 5.4 per 100,000 people.

Previously classified as a fourth-grade infectious disease, syphilis was upgraded to a third-grade disease last year, changing from sample surveillance to full surveillance.

Syphilis is a genital and systemic disease caused by infection with the syphilis bacterium. It is transmitted through sexual contact, vertical transmission, or blood. It can spread over a long period and, if not treated in time, may progress to severe complications.

By stage, early latent syphilis was the most common with 1,220 cases (43.7%).

Next were primary syphilis with 983 cases (35.2%), secondary syphilis with 524 cases (18.8%), tertiary syphilis with 51 cases (1.8%), and congenital syphilis with 12 cases (0.4%). Primary syphilis naturally resolves ulcers within 2 to 6 weeks, but in the case of tertiary syphilis, gummas may invade the skin, bones, liver, etc.

By gender, males accounted for the majority with 2,177 cases (78.0%). Females accounted for 613 cases (22.0%).

In terms of incidence rate, males (8.5 per 100,000) were about 3.5 times higher than females (2.4 per 100,000).

By age group, patients in their 20s (853 cases) and 30s (783 cases) accounted for 58.6% of the total. The incidence rate was highest among those in their 20s at 14.0 per 100,000.

About 200 cases occurred steadily each month, with the highest number of patients occurring in July (274 cases).

Last year, there were 117 cases (4.2%) of overseas infections.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency emphasized, "Last year's syphilis occurrence showed the traditional epidemiological trend concentrated among men in their 20s and 30s," adding, "It is necessary to establish evidence for syphilis prevention and management policies through continuous surveillance system operation and epidemiological investigation."