Health officials say the resurgence of syphilis in the U.S. is alarming because there are effective treatments and reliable prevention strategies.
Another concern is the recent increase among women of childbearing age, coinciding with a rise of syphilis cases at birth.
Untreated syphilis is associated with hearing loss, blindness, neurological complications and the increased risk of contracting other sexually transmitted diseases, such as HIV.
The Jackson County Health Department offers services to reduce the risk of syphilis and HIV.
Many other counties throughout the State of Illinois are also seeing a rise in cases.
