Task Force Working On Stopping Spread Of Syphilis In UT, ID, WA

The United States is currently experiencing the highest number of reported sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in over 70 years.

Health officials in the United States are particularly concerned about one type of STD that, in rare cases, can prove fatal if untreated.

Off all the STDs that a person can contract through sexual intercourse, there's only a small cluster of them that fall under the 'great imitator' label.

Health Officials Are Battling the Spread of STDs Such As Syphilis Across the U.S.

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Certain conditions get the label of 'great imitators' because they have the ability to mimic several different illnesses, thus making them harder to diagnose. In the case of Syphilis, which is spreading faster in the U.S. than it has since the 1950s, the longer it goes untreated, the worse damage it does to the human body, according to data shared by National Public Radio (NPR).

According to a 2025 report, between the years of 2018 and 2022, Syphilis cases ramped up by more than 80 percent. Having multiple sex partners is a leading cause for this increase in cases, according to Centers for Control and Prevention data.

Symptoms of Syphilis include swollen lymph nodes, chancres (sores) near the genitals, fever, and fatigue.

While Utah and Idaho haven't seen these cases reach an alarming level yet, Washington State is in the top 15 states for cases presently, according to Washington State Department of Health findings.

For information on where to get tested in southern Idaho, click here.