An outbreak of the bacterial infection in the territory is increasing at an alarming rate that is “consistently and significantly higher than the national average”. “Syphilis is a treatable infection that is usually spread through unprotected oral, genital or anal sex with an infected person. The infection can also be transmitted from mother to baby during pregnancy,” the Ministry of Health said. “The first sign of infection is usually a painless sore on the genitals, anus or inside the mouth that usually goes away and is easy to miss. If left untreated, syphilis can cause serious health problems or even death.” Back on August 22, 2019, the head of public health had declared a syphilis outbreak in the NWT after seeing a dramatic increase in rates since January 1, 2019. According to information from the Department of Health on July 19, 2022, syphilis rates in the territory increased by 253 percent from 1 January 2019 to 1 April 2022. Between January 1, 2021 and August 3, 2021, 37 cases of syphilis were reported, with the majority (78 percent) of these cases in Yellowknife, representing a “significant rate increase.” Only Manitoba, Nunavut, Saskatchewan have higher infection rates, the Government of Canada’s Public Health Agency said. From 19 July 2022, rapid trials were carried out in the NWT to combat the outbreak. According to the Department of Health, the tests “only require a simple finger-prick blood sample and show results within 15 minutes, rather than requiring a doctor to order the blood draw to be completed in a laboratory”. The epidemic is affecting young people “One of the NWT cases involved a newborn who was diagnosed with congenital syphilis,” the department said. “This is the first case of congenital syphilis in the NWT since 2009 and occurs when a mother transmits syphilis infection to her baby during pregnancy. It can cause very serious health problems, such as stillbirth, neonatal death or serious chronic diseases.” Those who are infected have an increased risk of contracting or transmitting HIV. Antibiotic treatment can cure syphilis, preventing worse, long-term effects. “Not every infected person will have symptoms. The only way to know for sure if you have syphilis is to get tested,” advises the Department of Health. How to prevent the spread If you are sexually active, the department recommends that you: -Use condom protection -Limit and know your sexual partners -Get tested for syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections every time you have a new sexual partner. If you are not in a monogamous relationship, you should get tested more often. “If you are pregnant, you should be tested for syphilis at least three times: in the first trimester, at 28-30 weeks and around the time of delivery. If you are thinking of becoming pregnant, it is recommended that you first get a syphilis test.’
