Baltimore tops in syphilis cases; District falls sharply.(Metropolitan)

0 Comments | Washington Times, The, October, 1999 | by Sorokin, Ellen

Syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease that is on the verge of elimination in the United States, is also down dramatically in Washington: The number of cases reported in the District are at the lowest levels seen in almost 60 years. The drop in Washington mirrors the national trend, according to statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta yesterday.

Washington reported 81 cases last year, down 31 percent from 117 cases in 1997, officials with the District's Bureau of STD Control said. "We're most definitely happy that the numbers have dropped," said Peter Moore, acting chief of the bureau. "But if we're going to completely eliminate the disease, we still have a lot more work to do." Among cities...