The rate of syphilis infections is going down in South Dakota, according to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control.
But, the infection rate is still double that of the next highest state.
The new numbers released earlier this month show in 2023 there were 73.4 cases of syphilis per 100,000 people. That’s down from 84 cases per 100,000 people in 2022.
Tribal health officials say cases skyrocketed 19-fold between 2020 and 2023.
“Now what you’re seeing is the smoldering is no longer smoldering. It’s boiling at this point," said Dr. Kimberlee McKay, with Avera Research. Earlier this year, she and others released a paper on the syphilis epidemic in South Dakota.
“If you look at communities that are very rural, poverty, resource restricted, it’s the perfect set up for a disease that has complexity and requires multiple treatments.”
According to the CDC data, the bulk of counties where syphilis rates are highest are in western South Dakota.
Earlier this year, the Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board urged the federal government to declare a syphilis emergency.
McKay said Indian Health Service has been innovative in addressing the outbreak.
Still, McKay said barriers include test results taking days and a lack of access to medical records if a patient is transferred.
“This is always how it was. We’re just not used to experiencing a tricky communicable disease like this," McKay said. "Again, it’s always going to be compounded by things like poverty and resources. We’re in a place where a lot of us have to sit down at the table and say, ‘How are we going to tackle this?’”
The CDC data released Nov. 12 is from 2023.
According to the South Dakota Department of Health, the rate of syphilis is continuing to fall in 2024. Officials there say the syphilis cases have galled by nearly 35 percent since 2023. The state department said it increased the number of testing and education events it participated in.
