Syphilis rates rising among Alaska gay men

Health officials in Alaska report a recent outbreak of syphilis infections among gay and bisexual men in the state, with all but one of the cases located in Anchorage, the Anchorage Daily News reports. Six new cases of syphilis among gay men were reported between September 15 and December 10; it's been over 10 years since more than two cases were reported in a single year in the state and several years since any new cases were identified. State health officials are seeking possible sex partners of the infected men and encouraging them to be tested for the sexually transmitted disease. The Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association has also started distributing fliers that promote safer sex as a way to avoid syphilis.