Syphilis epidemic evolving at an alarming rate

A/Prof Eric Chow checks longitudinal data. Image: Alfred Health

A 220 per cent spike in syphilis infections in women has experts warning an 'epidemic' is in place and swift action is required to bring it under control.

Epidemiologist Associate Professor Eric Chow said the epidemic, which was once focussed on gay men in inner Melbourne, has now become much more generalised and has spread to the outer suburbs, according to recent mapping conducted at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre.

Syphilis prevention priority for NHMRC Partnership funding

Associate Professor Marcus Chen

Ten new medical research projects are being funded $11.3 million through the National Health and Medical Research Council’s Partnership Project scheme. This funding has helped to secure an additional $15.6 million co-investment in cash and in kind support from 80 partner agencies including hospitals, state governments, services and patient representative bodies.

Associate Professor Marcus Chen, of the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre within Central Clinical School, has been awarded $1.2M for his Partnership project, “Novel strategies for improving syphilis testing and control”. He is the only Monash University researcher to have been awarded a grant in this round.

Study reveals need to strengthen sexual health services for PrEP users

Dr Jason Ong, lead author
on the JAMA paper

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) – taking antiretroviral drugs to protect people from acquiring HIV infection – is revolutionising the prevention of HIV around the world. However, a global study led by Monash University in Australia and supported by the World Health Organisation has shown that people who are seeking PrEP to prevent HIV are also at high risk of other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

The authors of the paper argue that PrEP services could be an ideal place to test for, prevent and treat both HIV and other STIs.

Video of the week: Prof Kit Fairley on the recent rise of syphilis

Links for Professor Christopher Fairley's public lecture, "Whose fault was it that Bob got syphilis? It's not as simple as it sounds", on 17 October 2019:

• Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx3S1yNIZs4&t=15s
• Powerpoint: www.slideshare.net/ccsmonash/2019-central-clinical-school-public-lecture-prof-christopher-fairley
• Photo gallery: photos.app.goo.gl/1Jhvknf19fLxN1Kn6
• Web page: www.monash.edu/medicine/ccs/events/2019-CCS-public-lecture
• Melbourne Sexual Health Centre (MSHC) research: www.mshc.org.au/ResearchEducation/ResearchEvaluation/tabid/124/Default.aspx#.XbpGUkGYO71

"Whose fault is it that Bob caught syphilis?" Professor Christopher Fairley throws some light

Professor Christopher Fairley (left) with colleagues at the
Melbourne Sexual Health Centre

Professor Christopher Fairley AO, Director of the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre (MSHC) has had a lifetime of clinical practice and research into sexually transmitted diseases. He has been recognised by the award of an Order of Australia last year, and the National Health and Medical Research Council have recognised the urgent need to fight the rise of sexually transmitted infections by most recently funding his and MSHC colleagues' research $6 million.

Prof Fairley is giving Central Clinical School's annual public lecture on Thursday 17 October 2019. He asks the question, 'Whose fault is it that Bob caught syphilis?' RSVP here

Funds a welcome boost to sexual disease research

L-R: Dr Eric Chow, Prof Christopher Fairley and Dr Catriona Bradshaw
have won NHMRC grants for research programs to control STIs.
Prof Fairley is giving a public lecture on 17 Oct - all welcome! RSVP

by Anne Crawford

Central Clinical School researchers at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre (MSHC) have been awarded more than $6 million in the latest round of NHMRC grants – funds that will go towards researching programs urgently needed to fight rising levels of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Professor of Public Health at Monash University, Professor Christopher Fairley AO said rates of STIs such as syphilis and gonorrhoea in Victoria had risen relentlessly over the past 20 years.

"Whose fault is it that Bob caught syphilis?" Find out in CCS's forthcoming Annual Public Lecture 2019

An exciting event to pop in your diaries is on the horizon - the CCS Annual Public Lecture. This year's presentation is called 'Whose fault is it that Bob caught syphilis?' and is being delivered by the Director of the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Professor Christopher Fairley AO on Thursday 17 October 2019. RSVP here

Synopsis
Late one night in Melbourne, Bob got syphilis after having sex with a man with syphilis. Lots other men had sex with other men that night but didn’t contract syphilis.  Bob used a condom, but they don’t always protect against syphilis. So, ‘whose fault was it’ that Bob got syphilis? The answer matters because it leads to a solution to an important problem. With syphilis cases in Melbourne on the rise, we desperately need a solution.

New approaches needed for syphilis prevention

Anonymous sex made easier with apps. Image: Bustle

by Anne Crawford

Two separate Monash University studies have shown that new ways of controlling syphilis among men who have sex with men (MSM) are needed because traditional measures aimed at curbing the rapid spread of the disease have not been effective.

Research: Getting tested for syphilis - good idea but not being done

Getting tested - good idea. Image AFAO

The rapid rise in syphilis cases has prompted a number of public health campaigns to assist men who have sex with men (MSM) recognize and present early with symptoms. This study aimed to investigate the temporal trend of the duration of self-report symptoms and titre of rapid plasma reagin (RPR) in MSM with infectious syphilis. Alternative strategies such as more frequent testing of MSM should be promoted to control the syphilis epidemic in Australia.
  
Reference: Chow EP, Dutt K, Fehler G, Denham I, Chen MY, Batrouney C, Peel J, Read TR, Bradshaw CS, Fairley CK.Duration of syphilis symptoms at presentations in men who have sex with men in Australia: are current public health campaigns effective? Epidemiology and Infection, 1 June 2015, 10p