Syphilis and gonorrhoea in the Czech Republic

Abstract

Syphilis remains a public health problem in the Czech Republic and worldwide. The Czech Republic--until 1993 a part of Czechoslovakia--has a long tradition in public health activities, and STI surveillance is mainly focused on the infections traditionally called venereal diseases--syphilis, gonorrhoea, chancroid, and lymphogranuloma venereum. Campaigns from the early 1950s, were successful in controlling syphilis and gonorrhoea; and chancroid and lymphogranuloma venereum infections are extremely rare. In late 1980s, a low incidence of newly reported syphilis cases was achieved (100-200 cases annually), while around 6500 cases of gonorrhoea were recorded annually during the same period. Health care and prevention of STI diseases in the Czech Republic are based on close cooperation between clinical departments and laboratory and epidemiological services of Environmental Health Offices. Annual statistics showing data on reported cases of 'venereal diseases', based on ICD-10 codes, are available from 1959. Separate statistical data on other STIs are not available, and aggregated numbers only for Chlamydia trachomatis infections have been presented annually since 2000. Following the political and social changes in the Czech community in 1989, a distinct increase of syphilis was recorded. Between 50% and 60% of notified cases were classified as late latent or of unknown duration. The continuing annual occurrence of congenital syphilis (7-18 cases per year) reported during the 1990s has also been a very serious phenomenon. Cases have been concentrated in large urban areas with a high level of commercial sex activity, and a high proportion of cases is also noted in refugees. While the annual incidence of gonorrhoea gradually decreased from 1994 to 2001 (from 28.5 to 8.9 per 100,000 population), the incidence of syphilis increased in this period from 3.6 to 9.6 per 100,000 population (the highest value was 13.4 in 2001) and in 2000, for the first time in many years, it exceeded the incidence of gonorrhoea.