Despite an uptick in local syphilis cases, there’s no cause for concern in Chatham-Kent. 
That’s according to an email from the Public Health Unit, who noted that there have been 10 cases of the STD in the area this year. That’s up from 8 last year, and the average of 2 prior to that but still well below national levels.
CK’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr David Colby, says most historical syphilis cases were acquired by residents of CK through contacts in other jurisdictions. At this point, it’s not clear if that’s the case, and Colby says he would be very hesitant to characterize the increase in our local numbers as an outbreak.
Nearby Middlesex-Lambton announced an outbreak earlier this month.
