EDMONTON -- Booming Alberta has become a magnet for many things, including now the age-old scourge of syphilis.
"In my mind, there is no question that what is happening with the economy is contributing to this," said Ameeta Singh, an infectious diseases medical consultant with Alberta Health.
The provincial government is so concerned about the rise in reported syphilis cases that it is launching a public-awareness campaign that will begin with television and newspaper ads this month about the curable sexually transmitted infection.
Currently, the incidence of syphilis in Alberta is slightly higher than the national average -- there are 5.8 cases per 100,000 people in Alberta compared with 5.1 cases per 100,000 people in Canada.
In 2006, there were 202 confirmed cases in Alberta, up from 143 in 2005. In 1995, there were four syphilis cases provincewide.
Dr. Singh said while many communities across Canada are struggling with rising rates of sexually transmitted diseases, the provincial government was prompted to act because syphilis is spreading quickly and is being found outside Alberta's two largest centres, Edmonton and Calgary, in places such as Fort McMurray.
That community has grown dramatically in recent years and has attracted workers from all over the world to jobs that pay well at its massive oil-sands projects.
"People have a lot more expendable income. There is more drug- and alcohol-abuse going on. And there is more exchange of sex for a variety of things such as drugs and alcohol," Dr. Singh explained.
She said the infection is also being diagnosed in segments of the population not usually affected, such as postsecondary students, professionals and the elderly.
The government is increasingly alarmed by the number of babies with congenital syphilis -- in which the disease is passed from a mother to her baby in the womb, Dr. Singh added.
While the province tests pregnant women for the infection, nine babies have been born with syphilis during the past two years.
"In a developed country where we have universal access to health care, we shouldn't have this," she said.
Syphilis, which can be detected with a blood test, can be spread during unprotected oral, anal and vaginal sex.
The disease is curable, but its effects can worsen over time if it goes untreated.
The infection causes highly contagious sores and rashes; however, it is sometimes difficult to detect. In serious cases, syphilis can cause long-term damage to the heart, brain and bones and lead to blindness and paralysis.
"Some people aren't even aware it's out there," said Tracey Welsh, an Alberta Health spokeswoman.
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10.03.2007 12:02
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