TOMPKINS COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
Alice Cole, RN, MSE – Public Health Director
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 6, 2008
For more information contact:
Theresa Lyczko at 274-6714 or Karen Bishop at 274-6604
Syphilis in Tompkins County — Update
(November 6, 2008) – The collaboration continues among
Tompkins County Health Department (TCHD), Hammond Health Center
at Ithaca College, Cornell University’s Gannett Health
Services, Tompkins-Cortland Community College, Planned Parenthood
of the Southern Finger Lakes and the New York State Department
of Health (NYSDOH) to provide information and outreach on prevention,
testing, and treatment of syphilis
and other sexually transmitted diseases
(STD).
This community partnership began early
this year when the health department identified an increase
in syphilis cases in the county. Between December 2007 and September
2008 there were 6 infectious cases. In the past 10 years there
has been an average of one case per year.
Syphilis is a highly contagious, yet treatable disease. It
can be transmitted between (approximately) 10 days when symptoms
first appear, to one year of infection. NYSDOH reports that
there have been no new infectious cases since May in Tompkins
County.
The collaboration of
health care and community organizations was successful in encouraging
many people who thought that they were at risk for syphilis
to be screened and treated. Local providers were informed of
the increase in the number of cases and the signs and symptoms
of the disease which can often be mistaken for other illnesses.
NYSDOH supported this educational and outreach effort and awarded
the Tompkins County Health Department a $15,000 grant to broaden
the efforts of the community partnership. The outreach will
target campus communities and the community in general through
poster distribution, transit bus advertising, drink coasters
in bars and other targeted outreach strategies. A new website
will soon be launched providing information on STD prevention,
screening and treatment.
On October 23, 2008 representatives from Gannett Health Services,
Tompkins County Health Department, Planned Parenthood and the
NYSDOH attended the New York State College Health Association
conference in Syracuse. In a panel presentation the group discussed
the “town/gown” collaboration between the state
and local (TCHD) health departments and agencies and the college
community. The presentation illustrated the roles of each entity
in identifying the cases, surveillance, outreach, screening
and treatment.
Testing for syphilis and other STDs is available at several
sites in the County:
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