What's syphilis again?

"When I hook up it’s via a virtual burlesque of unlocked pictures, innuendo-laden instant messages and GPS-oriented texts.

When I got the call from the BC Centre for Disease Control saying that I had been in contact with syphilis, I was less concerned with by whom than who knew my phone number? I struggle with it myself.

“What’s syphilis again? I haven’t been in contact with it since it was called VD.”

I scrolled through my call display trying to figure out who gave my number to the BCCDC when it occurred to me: perhaps I was the one spreading syphilis."

USPSTF Recommends Syphilis Screening for All Pregnant Women

"The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has reaffirmed its 2004 recommendation to screen all pregnant women for syphilis infection. The updated recommendation statement and an accompanying review of the underlying evidence are published in the May issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

'In 2004, the USPSTF reviewed the evidence on screening for syphilis in pregnant women,' write Ned Calonge, MD, MPH, from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment in Denver, and colleagues from the USPSTF, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Rockville, Maryland."

Rise in Syphilis Cases Due to Heterosexual Contact - Earlier rises associated with male-to-male transmission - Modern Medicine

"Data on rates of syphilis in Jefferson County, Ala., indicate a re-emergence of the disease among women and heterosexual men, according to a report in the May 8 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Edward W. Hook, M.D., of the Jefferson County Department of Health in Birmingham, Ala., and colleagues report that, in common with national rates of syphilis, Jefferson County saw a substantial drop in the number of cases from 279 in 1995 to nine in 2002, but from 2002 to 2005 the number of cases began to rise significantly again, with 238 cases in 2006 and 166 cases in 2007."

Birmingham syphilis epidemic part of trend, CDC reports - Breaking News from The Birmingham News - al.com

"The Birmingham area is making headway against its syphilis epidemic, and it appears that local public health officials recognized and responded early to a trend now sweeping the Southeast, according to an article released today by the Centers for Disease Control.

'Nobody's delighted that we have syphilis, but I think we're proud that we recognized it, we're on top of it and we're making substantial progress,'' said Dr. Edward W. Hook of UAB's division of infectious diseases and author of the CDC report. 'As a result, I think we're in better shape here than in some of our neighboring states.''"

Bone find shows early amputations

"Bones found at a former hospital in Worcestershire show evidence of early amputations and other medical research, say archaeologists.

County council archaeologists were called in after workers building the new city university campus found about 200 bone pieces in a pit at the former Worcester Royal Infirmary site.

Former hospital ward at the old Worcester Royal Infirmary
The old hospital is being demolished to make way for a new campus

Simon Sworn, archaeologist and project officer, said many of the 19th Century bones had been deliberately cut and were 'evidence of amputations in their infancy'.

'Saw marks'

"There's evidence of research into varying diseases, such as syphilis, which was widespread at the time. There are bones that have been cut into where the disease had taken hold."

He said the bones could be linked to the work of Sir Charles Hastings, a medical surgeon and founder of the BMA.