Babies with syphilis spiking in Manitoba

WINNIPEG At least 10 infants have been treated for syphilis in Manitoba in the last six months and the public health office says the methamphetamine crisis could be exacerbating the outbreak.

The number of people with syphilis has nearly tripled since 2014 — to 350 from 118. For women, it’s gone to 168 from 16 in four years.

Michael Isaac, Manitoba’s acting chief public health officer, says women can pass the bacterial infection on during pregnancy.

Isaac says substance abuse and a lack of prenatal care were common factors in many of the cases.

“I think the injection drug use that we are seeing in Manitoba certainly is linked with crystal methamphetamine use,” Isaac said Monday. “And we’ve noted that some of the moms with congenital syphilis have been using crystal meth and injecting drugs.”

Winnipeg’s police chief has said the skyrocketing use of meth is creating a crisis for police, treatment centres and health-care services.

Isaac said the rise in injection drug use is linked to the increase in blood-borne illnesses such as syphilis.

Syphilis can have a wide range of symptoms that can be confused with other conditions. Tests confirm whether a person has the infection and, once diagnosed, it is easily treated with penicillin.

“It’s a very treatable and preventable condition,” Isaac said.

If untreated, syphilis can be passed on before or during a pregnancy and can result in birth defects or stillbirth.

Congenital cases of syphilis were rare in Manitoba and Isaac said no babies were born with the infection for decades before 2015.

“We noticed in late 2018 and early 2019 a large increase in cases of congenital syphilis, especially the last six weeks.”

Of those mothers, Isaac said, 70 per cent were using drugs.

Multiple provinces, including Alberta, Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador, are also seeing cases of congenital syphilis.