Michigan: Eye syphilis outbreak in women linked to single sex partner

In a shocking discovery, health authorities in Michigan found a cluster of syphilis infections affecting the eyes of five women who had sexual contact with the same man. This is the first time such a cluster has been reported in the US, and it raises the concern that a new variant of the syphilis bacteria may have evolved to cause more severe and widespread disease.

CDC report

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) reported the cluster in the latest issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a publication of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report suggests that the new strain of syphilis may be more likely to infect the eyes and the central nervous system, leading to serious complications such as blindness, deafness, and neurosyphilis.