2000 Indiana Report of Infectious Diseases: Syphilis, Early

Syphilis, Early

Rates presented are per 100,000 population and are based on the U.S. 2000 Census.

	Cases	Incidence Rate
Total	536	9.0
Race-specific cases and rates¹
White	44	0.8
Black	466	93.6
Other²	10	^*13.6
Sex-specific cases and rates
Female	306	10.0
Male	230	8.0

Early syphilis includes primary and secondary syphilis, and early latent syphilis, as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These definitions can be found in Case Definitions for Infectious Conditions Under Public Health Surveillance, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Vol. 46, No. RR-10, May 2, 1997. This can be found online at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00047449.htm.

Figure Syp1 shows the number of reported cases of early syphilis for 1996-2000. Due to an outbreak of syphilis in Marion County, the number of syphilis cases increased dramatically in 1999. In 2000, a campaign to eradicate syphilis in Marion County began. The outcome of that effort is evident in the reduction in the number of cases reported in 2000. Of the 536 cases of early syphilis reported in 2000, only 109 were found outside Marion County.

Table Syp1 depicts the number of early syphilis cases and case rates per 100,000 for 2000. Reported cases of syphilis decreased in all age categories from 1999 to 2000. Figure Syp2 illustrates the high rate of syphilis among those ages 20-40e. In 1998, the mean age of those infected was 34. In 1999 and 2000, the mean age has decreased slightly to 32.

Table Syp2 shows reported cases and incidence rates of primary and secondary syphilis for 2000 for those counties with 5 or more reported cases of syphilis.

Figure Syp1: Syphilis Cases by Year, Indiana, 1996-2000

Table Syp1: Syphilis Cases by Age Group, Indiana, 2000

Age	Cases	Rates
0-9	0	0
10-14	5	1.2*
15-19	63	14.2
20-24	116	29.2
25-29	97	24
30-34	74	17.6
35-39	64	13.3
40-44	64	13.3
45-49	25	5.9
50-54	10	2.8*
55-59	7	2.4*
60-64	3	1.3*
65+	7	0.9*
Unknown	1
Total	536	9
*Rates based on less than 20 cases should be considered unstable.

Figure Syp2: Syphilis - Incidence Rate by Age Group, Indiana, 2000

Table Syp2: Primary and Secondary Syphilis, Incidence Rates, Counties with 5 or more cases, Indiana, 2000

County	Cases	Rates
Lake	39	8.1
Madison	9	3.5*
Marion	427	50.0
Putnam	5	14.2*
St. Joseph	9	3.5*
* Rate based on less than 20 cases and should be considered unstable.

Footnotes

1 - There were 16 cases for which the race of the case was unknown.

2 - "Other" includes American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and multiracial.

* - Rate based on less than 20 cases and should be considered unstable.