The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) has reported a national outbreak of Early Infectious Syphilis [1] (EIS).
Prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, EIS cases were rising and this had been identified as an area for urgent action. After a small decrease in cases in 2020, coinciding with the first wave of COVID-19, EIS notifications are increasing once more and are exceeding the numbers observed in 2019 [2] and previous years.
While the majority of cases continue to be reported in males, there is an increase in female cases and in heterosexual transmission.
On Wednesday, Consultant in Genito-Urinary Medicine Dr. Aisling Loy spoke to Newstalk’s Pat Kenny [3] as to how, despite over a year of Covid-19 restrictions and people being asked to stay apart, a national outbreak could have occurred.