Sexually transmitted diseases surged across Europe in 2022, with reported cases of gonorrhoea jumping by nearly a half, data released Thursday shows.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reports syphilis cases alone rose by 34 percent from the previous year, to more than 35,000, chlamydia cases by 16 percent to more than 216,000.
Gonorrhoea cases lead the crisis, jumping by 48 percent to more than 70,000, as “troubling” numbers spike mirroring a similar trend in the U.S. and beyond.
“The numbers paint a stark picture, one that needs our immediate attention and action,” said ECDC director Andrea Ammon in a press conference on the data, Reuters reports.
Untreated infections can lead to a range of health problems including chronic pain, infertility and, for syphilis, neurological and cardiovascular complications.
Cases of lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) and congenital syphilis, when the infection is transmitted from mother to foetus, also increased sharply, the ECDC said, although from lower levels.
Uncontrolled migration brings more than just cheap labor.
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