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. 2016 Sep 1;6(3):83-90.
doi: 10.11599/germs.2016.1093. eCollection 2016 Sep.

Syphilis on the rise: A prolonged syphilis outbreak among HIV-infected patients in Northern Greece

Olga Tsachouridou  1 , Lemonia Skoura  2 , Eirini Christaki  3 , Panagiotis Kollaras  4 , Eleni Sidiropoulou  5 , Pantelis Zebekakis  3 , Efstratios Vakirlis  6 , Apostolia Margariti  7 , Symeon Metallidis  7
Affiliations
Free PMC article

Syphilis on the rise: A prolonged syphilis outbreak among HIV-infected patients in Northern Greece

Olga Tsachouridou et al. Germs. .
Free PMC article

Abstract

Introduction: Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are a major public health issue in Europe. Numerous outbreaks of syphilis have been described recently and an increased prevalence of high-risk sexual practices has raised concern about the transmission of HIV and other STDs. Similarly, an increase in sexually transmitted infections has been recorded in Northern Greece.

Methods: This report describes a recent outbreak of syphilis in people living with HIV. The demographic, clinical, and serologic data of HIV patients diagnosed with syphilis were recorded and analyzed. Data on syphilis incidence from the general population was also compared to HIV patients' data.

Results: Fifty-eight HIV-patients of the Infectious Diseases Unit of a tertiary hospital (5.2%) were diagnosed with syphilis during a three-year period (2008-2010). Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and coexistence of other STDs were independent predictors of syphilis (OR: 2.4, 95CI%: 1.26, 4.63, p=0.008; OR: 9.4, 95%CI: 4.49, 19.64, p<0.001, respectively). Origin from a country other than Greece (p=0.005), and homosexual contact (p=0.003), were separate risk factors for syphilis in the general population in the same area.

Conclusion: Diagnosis of a sexually transmitted disease in an HIV patient is a crucial clinical event that should trigger the clinician's suspicion for high-risk sexual behavior. Sexual health assessments should be a routine process for HIV patients.

Keywords: HIV; Syphilis; coinfection; outbreak; sexually transmitted diseases.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors – none to declare.

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