"Cluster of Ocular Syphilis Cases Raises Concerns about Sexual Transmission"
Health officials in Michigan have identified a cluster of syphilis infections in women's eyes, all linked to one infected man. This raises concerns about a potential new strain of syphilis bacteria that may be more easily causing systemic syphilis, particularly affecting the eyes and central nervous system. Ocular syphilis is rare and usually seen in late-stage syphilis cases, but in this cluster, all five women had early-stage infections. The cluster is also the first documented case of heterosexual transmission. Health officials speculate that the man may have been infected with a strain of syphilis bacteria that is more prone to causing ocular and neurosyphilis. The infections have been treated, but wider surveillance and identification of all sex partners are needed to ensure the spread is stopped.