Cases of the sexually transmitted disease have grown by 460% since 2001, the latest report by the Robert Koch Institute shows

FILE PHOTO: Historical moulages showing different types of syphilis are exhibited in the Medical History Museum in Hamburg, Germany ©  Daniel Bockwoldt / dpa via Getty Images

The number of syphilis infections has hit a new record high in Germany, reaching 9,519 cases in 2024 compared with just 1,697 at the turn of the century, according to the latest report from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).

The prevalence of the sexually transmitted disease, caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum, has steadily increased over the past two decades. After hitting 3,364 cases in 2004, numbers have continued to rise, particularly among homosexual men.

The latest Epidemiologisches Bulletin, released on Thursday, recorded another 3.9% year-on-year increase compared with 2023. Members of the LGBTQ community accounted for the overwhelming majority of infections, while women represented only 7.6% of cases. The share of heterosexual transmission also rose slightly from the previous year.

 

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The average age of patients was around 41, with reinfections remaining a persistent risk. The RKI highlighted that the highest infection rates were recorded in major urban centers, including Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Frankfurt and Munich.

Outbreaks among gay men have driven much of the overall rise since the late 1990s. The first significant increase was documented in Hamburg in 1997. By 2003, the incidence among men was ten times higher than among women.

Today, around three-quarters of reported cases are linked to the LGBTQ community, with data suggesting that up to half of these patients are also HIV-positive, often with co-infections of Hepatitis C.

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The spread of sexually transmitted infections has been associated with the use of social media and geospatial dating apps, leading to higher numbers of sexual partners – including new and anonymous contacts.