The Syphilis Elimination Task Force ( SETF ) met Oct. 18 at the Lakeview Specialty Clinic to brainstorm ways to combat the city's rising syphilis cases.
The number of syphilis cases has more than doubled between 2004 and 2005, according to Laurie Anderson, Syphilis Elimination Coordinator for the Chicago Department of Public Health. MSM ( men who have sex with men ) make up more than 70 percent of the cases, and cases among Latino MSM have increased from 7 to 21 primary and secondary cases through Oct. 1. Due to the boom in early infections, the SETF worked as a team to come up with ways to answer the question, 'What elements do we need to create a responsive plan for the increase of syphilis cases in Chicago?'
'We want to be innovative,' Anderson told the team.
In 2001, Chicago ranked first in the U.S. for syphilis. 'At the rate we are going, we are going to surpass 2001 [ the highest recent year of syphilis cases ] ,' Anderson said. 'Rates have been creeping up over the past several months,' she added.
A map was distributed at the SETF meeting that showed early cases of the disease ( those who have had it less than one year ) by zip code. Anderson said that showing the disbursement of early cases gives a better picture of the infection rate. North Side zip codes 60626, 60660, 60640, 60613 and 60657 all contained more than 20 cases. The largest problem is in the 60640 area of Lake View, where there were 54 early cases through Oct. 17.
Roseland, Englewood, and other areas on the city's South Side have between 10 and 19 cases.
'It's kind of spreading out through the zip codes,' Anderson said, noting that new infections are high on the North Side but are also a problem on the South Side.
In 2003, the SETF launched a media campaign for two months. Syphilis cases dropped that year.