{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,28]],"date-time":"2026-08-28T06:51:58Z","timestamp":1787899918045,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,26]],"date-time":"2022-07-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1658793600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Since 2000, a resurgence of syphilis has been noted in many developed and developing countries, especially among men who have sex with men (MSM). Incidence and prevalence of syphilis in pregnant women have been reduced drastically by mandatory screening in early pregnancy. Insufficient data in other populations especially from developing countries limit targeted public health interventions. This study aimed to describe the clinical and epidemiological profile of serologically confirmed syphilis cases among the non-pregnant high-risk group reporting to a tertiary care center in Southern India. A retrospective study was carried out in a tertiary care center in Southern India for 6 years from 2015 to 2020. A total of 265 serologically confirmed syphilis patients were included. A statistically significant increase in positivity from 0.52 to 2.1% was observed in this study (2015 to 2020). Among risk factors, high-risk behavior with multiple heterosexual partners was the commonest (51.3%), followed by marital partners who tested positive (9.4%) and MSM (7.5%). The majority of the patients were diagnosed at the latent stage (79%), followed by secondary syphilis (10%) and tertiary syphilis (8%). A quarter of patients (23%) were coinfected with HIV. Serological non-responsiveness was more common among HIV infected (47 vs. 24%). Sixteen had neurosyphilis and six had ocular involvement. HIV co-infection complicated 50% (8\/16) of neurosyphilis patients. Syphilis is still prevalent, especially in high-risk groups including those are attending STI clinics. Further prospective multicentric studies are needed to identify and implement public health measures.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2022.908591","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,25]],"date-time":"2022-07-25T09:49:11Z","timestamp":1658742551000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":24,"title":["Upward trends of syphilis in the non-pregnant adults: A six-year report on clinical and epidemiological profile of syphilis from a tertiary care center, India"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"10","author":[{"given":"Dhanalakshmi","family":"Solaimalai","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ankan","family":"Gupta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Leni","family":"George","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abi","family":"Manesh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rajiv","family":"Karthik","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dharshini","family":"Sathishkumar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"C. V Dincy","family":"Peter","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"George M","family":"Varghese","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Susanne A","family":"Pulimood","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rajesh","family":"Kannangai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"John AJ","family":"Prakash","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"24","DOI":"10.1007\/s40471-018-0138-z","article-title":"An update on the global epidemiology of syphilis","volume":"5","author":"Kojima","year":"2018","journal-title":"Curr Epidemiol Rep."},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e1110","DOI":"10.1016\/S2214-109X(21)00221-7","article-title":"Prevalence of syphilis among men who have sex with men: a global systematic review and meta-analysis from 2000\u201320","volume":"9","author":"Tsuboi","year":"2021","journal-title":"Lancet Glob Health."},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"548","DOI":"10.2471\/BLT.18.228486","article-title":"Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis and syphilis: global prevalence and incidence estimates, 2016","volume":"97","author":"Rowley","year":"2019","journal-title":"Bull World Health Organ"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijid.2016.04.010","article-title":"Study of surveillance data for class B notifiable disease in China from 2005 to 2014","volume":"48","author":"Zhang","year":"2016","journal-title":"Int J Infect Dis."},{"key":"B5","unstructured":""},{"key":"B6","unstructured":""},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"197","DOI":"10.4103\/2224-3151.206690","article-title":"Towards elimination of parent-to-child transmission of syphilis in India: a rapid situation review to inform national strategy. WHO South-East Asia","volume":"4","author":"Srinivas","year":"2015","journal-title":"J Public Health"},{"key":"B8","year":"","journal-title":"Standard operating procedures for HIV & Syphilis. Screening of pregnant women at VHSND Sites"},{"key":"B9","first-page":"202","article-title":"Audit of management of pregnant women with positive VDRL tests","volume":"14","author":"Mathai","year":"2001","journal-title":"Natl Med J India."},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"42","DOI":"10.1002\/ijgo.12336","article-title":"retrospective study of the prevalence and outcomes of syphilis in pregnancy in a 5-year period","volume":"140","author":"Ebenezer","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int J Gynaecol Obstet Off Organ Int Fed Gynaecol Obstet."},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e1002330","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pmed.1002330","article-title":"Assessing process, content, and politics in developing the global health sector strategy on sexually transmitted infections 2016\u20132021: implementation opportunities for policymakers","volume":"14","author":"Seale","year":"2017","journal-title":"PLoS Med."},{"key":"B12","first-page":"845","article-title":"The modern epidemic of syphilis","volume-title":"N Engl J Med.","author":"Ghanem","year":"2020"},{"key":"B13","unstructured":"StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing\n            HaT\n            TadiP\n            DubenskyL\n          Neurosyphilis2022"},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"140","DOI":"10.4103\/0253-7184.167137","article-title":"Rising trends of syphilis in a tertiary care center in North India","volume":"36","author":"Sethi","year":"2015","journal-title":"Indian J Sex Transm Dis AIDS."},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"246","DOI":"10.4103\/ijdvl.IJDVL_728_17","article-title":"Let's not let the guard down! \u2013 Early indications of syphilis resurgence?","volume":"85","author":"Kulkarni","year":"2019","journal-title":"Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol."},{"key":"B16","unstructured":""},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2281","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2016.7073","article-title":"Syphilis on the rise: what went wrong?","volume":"315","author":"Clement","year":"2016","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"key":"B18","unstructured":"STI Screening Recommendations.2021"},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2321","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2016.5824","article-title":"Screening for syphilis infection in non-pregnant adults and adolescents: US preventive services task force recommendation statement","volume":"315","author":"Bibbins-Domingo","year":"2016","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"97","DOI":"10.1136\/sti.2006.021402","article-title":"Serological response to syphilis treatment in HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients attending sexually transmitted diseases clinics","volume":"83","author":"Ghanem","year":"2007","journal-title":"Sex Transm Infect"},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"351","DOI":"10.1177\/0956462412472827","article-title":"Neurocognitive impairment in HIV-infected individuals with previous syphilis","volume":"24","author":"Marra","year":"2013","journal-title":"Int J STD AIDS."},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2851","DOI":"10.2147\/IDR.S320648","article-title":"Consequences of HIV\/Syphilis Co-Infection on HIV Viral Load and Immune Response to Antiretroviral Therapy","volume":"14","author":"Fan","year":"2021","journal-title":"Infect Drug Resist."},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"646663","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2021.646663","article-title":"Prevalence and factors associated with syphilis in people living with HIV\/AIDS in the State of Par\u00e1, Northern Brazil","volume":"9","author":"Neto","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1064","DOI":"10.1007\/s10461-019-02562-0","article-title":"Syphilis and HIV Co-infection in Mississippi: implications for control and prevention","volume":"24","author":"Riley","year":"2020","journal-title":"AIDS Behav."},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"86","DOI":"10.1186\/s12879-017-2187-1","article-title":"Prevalence of HIV and syphilis co-infection and associated factors among non-commercial men who have sex with men attending a sexually transmitted disease clinic in Shenzhen, China","volume":"17","author":"Dai","year":"2017","journal-title":"BMC Infect Dis."},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e002566","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2013-002566","article-title":"Seroprevalence of syphilis among HIV-infected individuals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a hospital-based cross-sectional study","volume":"3","author":"Eticha","year":"2013","journal-title":"BMJ Open."},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"373","DOI":"10.1590\/0004-282x20180054","article-title":"Neurosyphilis and ocular syphilis clinical and cerebrospinal fluid characteristics: a case series","volume":"76","author":"Borges","year":"2018","journal-title":"Arq Neuropsiquiatr."},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"755037","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2021.755037","article-title":"Predictors of seronegative conversion after centralized management of syphilis patients in Shenzhen, China","volume":"9","author":"Luo","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front Public Health."},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"32","DOI":"10.4103\/0253-7184.93814","article-title":"Current status of acquired syphilis: a hospital-based 5-year study","volume":"33","author":"Jain","year":"2012","journal-title":"Indian J Sex Transm Dis AIDS."},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"841","DOI":"10.1016\/j.adengl.2019.03.027","article-title":"The epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the epidemic of syphilis in Barcelona","volume":"110","author":"Arando","year":"2019","journal-title":"Actas Dermo-Sifiliogr\u00e1ficas Engl Ed."},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"117863371988328","DOI":"10.1177\/1178633719883282","article-title":"Resurgence of Syphilis in the United States: an assessment of contributing factors","volume":"12","author":"Schmidt","year":"2019","journal-title":"Infect Dis Res Treat."}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Public Health"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2022.908591\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,25]],"date-time":"2022-07-25T09:49:17Z","timestamp":1658742557000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2022.908591\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,26]]},"references-count":31,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpubh.2022.908591"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpubh.2022.908591","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-2565"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-2565","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,26]]},"article-number":"908591"}}