County health officials to gather in Palm Desert to address local syphilis spike
A surge in Coachella Valley syphilis cases will bring local health officials to Palm Desert tomorrow for a discussion on stemming the disease’s rising presence in the valley.
Dubbed the Riverside County Syphilis Community Collaborative, the collective of medical professionals will convene at UC Riverside-Palm Desert to formulate solutions to a rise in syphilis cases seen both in the Coachella Valley and the nation at large.
County health officials say that the rate of syphilis cases countywide is about 12 per 100,000 people, but in the Coachella Valley is about 32 per 100,000. The rate is particularly pronounced in Palm Springs, where there are more than 100 cases per 100,000 people, according to the Riverside University Health System.
The collaborative held its first meeting in Palm Springs last month, which officials said generated productive discussion between health officials, local residents and nonprofit groups.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better first meeting,” said Dr. Cameron Kaiser, county public health officer. “There were great ideas, great participation, and solid discussion. I look forward to start turning those ideas into solutions to our high rates of syphilis in this second meeting.”
Fourth District County Supervisor V. Manuel Perez said “I’m glad that partnering agencies from the community are continuing efforts to stop the spike in syphilis rates. Everyone participated with enthusiasm and thoughtful dialogue and brought forward suggestions that we will pursue.”
The state department of public health also reported recently that sexually transmitted diseases in California reached a record high in 2017, with a 45 percent increase seen in cases of syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea compared to five years ago.
In addition, 30 stillbirths in 2017 were attributed to congenital syphilis, the highest such figure since 1995, according to California health officials.
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