Reported cases of syphilis in Germany rose to a record high in 2024, with 9,519 infections registered, Germany’s top public health authority, the RKI, said on Thursday.
That marked a 3.9% increase from the 9,159 cases reported in 2023.
The epidemiological bulletin showed sharp regional differences. Berlin recorded the highest incidence with 35.7 cases per 100,000 residents, followed by Hamburg (30.3) and Bremen (14), all above the national average of 11.2. The lowest incidence was reported in Brandenburg at 4.5 cases per 100,000.
Women accounted for 7.6% of infections last year, the RKI said.
Syphilis, a bacterial disease that only affects humans, can be transmitted sexually, through blood, or from pregnant women to newborns.
It typically progresses in three stages, beginning with a painless sore shortly after infection, followed by skin changes and years later by potential damage to the nervous system and blood vessels.
Antibiotics are effective in treating syphilis, but reinfections are possible, the institute added.
dpa
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