Some health officials have recently sounded the alarm about a rise in syphilis infections in recent years, with Houston authorities warning residents about a 128 percent increase in cases of the sexually transmitted disease (STD).
According to officials, 674 cases were reported in 2022 as compared with 295 cases reported in 2019. The recent rise is being attributed to pregnant women, who can pass the bacterial infection to their unborn babies, the Houston Health Department said in a release Thursday.
