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A NATIONAL OUTBREAK of early infectious syphilis (EIS) has been declared in Ireland.
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) confirmed this week that there is a “potentially large undiagnosed reservoir of syphilis infection in Ireland due in part to the impact of COVID-19″.
A spokesperson for the HSE Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme said that the pandemic led to “significant restrictions” in people’s access to testing in sexual health clinics.
Cases had been rising here before the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite a significant decline during the first wave of the pandemic, cases increased throughout last year with a total of 562 reported.
The HPSC has said that cases are now on the rise again. While the data for 2021 is incomplete, 242 cases were reported in the first four months of the year.
79% of cases were in Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow, followed by 9% in Cork and Kerry. Limerick, Clare and Tipperary North accounted for 4% of the cases.
91% were in males while the proportion of cases in females has nearly doubled from 4.5% in 2018 to 9% in 2021.
The highest rates were in those aged 30 to 34 at 22%, and those aged 25 to 29 at 20%. 15% of cases were among those aged 35 to 39 compared to 9% of cases who were aged 20 to 24.
Syphilis is easily treated but highly infectious, and many people with the condition often don’t develop symptoms.
The HSE say that if left untreated, it can cause “serious health problems” to the heart, brain, eyes and nervous system that could take years to develop. It can also pass from pregnant women to their child, potentially causing serious harm.
The outbreak has been partly put down to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on health services.
Almost all sexual health services closed during the first wave of Covid-19 infections. While STI services have now resumed testing, they are still operating at a limited capacity.
Some online booking systems remain down due to the recent cyberattack on the HSE, but the health service is “working towards restoration of normal service activity”.
The pandemic has also significantly impacted access to HIV testing and support, threatening to undermine progress on HIV in Ireland.
The Gay Men’s Health Service (GMHS) in Dublin has been closed or operating with reduced services since the onset of restrictions last year, affecting men in the LGBT+ community who use the clinic for HIV screening, treatment and advice, as well as other medical services.
Currently, the service is only taking bookings for PrEP – a medication to prevent contraction of HIV – and its asymptomatic screening services. Appointments can only be made over the phone due to the HSE cyberattack.
In response to the syphilis outbreak, the MPOWER Programme at HIV Ireland have announced that they are offering free syphilis testing to gay and bisexual men at their pop-up clinic at the HIV Ireland office in Dublin City Centre.
In a post on social media, they said: “Syphilis is on the rise among gay and bi men in Ireland. It’s easy to get but also easy to cure. Some people get symptoms, but a lot don’t at all. The only way to know for sure is to get tested.”
Appointments can be booked on their website.
Elsewhere, a free walk-in STI testing service is available in St. Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin every Friday this month.
You can also order a free STI home test kit from SH:24 as part of a pilot project with the HSE.
The online testing service has been extended in Dublin, Cork and Kerry, with the Dublin catchment extended to include Kildare and Wicklow.
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It’s going to destroy leixlip.
Growing up there before intel and Hewlett Packard we had plenty of open spaces, with this development leixlip will be more like Tallaght.
@Trevor Hayden: the homeless are used to wide open spaces but they prefer to be enclosed within safe and warm walls.
@Michael Lang: You can guarantee Michael the homeless will not be able to come up with the 350k-400k price tags these pads will be going for.
@Trevor Hayden: I’d say Leixlip was a great place before those pesky employers came along.
@Neal Ireland Hello.: Leixlip has lost Hewlett Packard Neal, these houses /apartments are being built beside Hewlett Packard, there’s progress, laying off approx 1500 staff and building houses beside the derelict site that people cannot afford.
@Trevor Hayden: Such a backwards and selfish way of thinking..
@Trevor Hayden: not directly but when overall supply is increased, space is opened up at the bottom end of the market.
In breaking news, experts agree that Ireland needs more housing in areas within commuting distance of Dublin.
@Tom Sawyer: The Wonderful Barn in leixlip Tom is a beautiful old mill steeped in history, now it’s going to be surrounded by kids who could possibly do damage to it, all for the sake of developers profit.
I believe our historical buildings throughout Ireland should be protected, is that wrong?
@Michael Lang: You honestly reckon those houses will go to the homeless? Seriously..bless :)
@Trevor Hayden:
Nothing wrong with tallaght at all Trevor,
Iv lived here with my children for 18 years now.
Never had any trouble here, loads of good schools, kids getting on just fine, eldest just finished his leaving, plenty of green space, Dublin mountains just a walk away, shopping centre, luas, IT, hospital, easy commute to any where in Leinster, no more than 1hr away.
Plenty of employment for young and old.
NIMBYism is alive and well in your ne k of the woods.
@Stephen Maher: Not critical of Tallaght, it’s education or any of it’s people Stephen, but its an absolute sprawl, leixlip always had a old country feel now it’s turning into a sprawl aswell.
There needs to be more consideration for infrastructure, Tallaght is an absolute nightmare where traffic is concerned, leixlip is not much better but this will make it 10 times worse.
@Trevor Hayden: yes…let’s build the houses further away from Dublin and create more pollution commuting …that will be wonderful for the environment also
@Trevor Hayden: The wonderful barn is a crumbling old wreck beside another crumbling old wreck where kids frequently go to drink because it’s miles away from anything.
That said, the green space around it is nice, and a good protion of it is protected land so there’s that.
To be honest I’m more concerned with the total lack of civil engineering going on. The town centre is on the edge of town and the further you get the fewer the amenities. Suren houses are great, but how about a pool, a hotel, a gym, a restraunt or two, a playground, a few shops other than a random spar here or there.
@Trevor Hayden: try to adjust with changing time.
@Michael Lang: Ah Mick!
I see you are now reduced to arguing with a bunch of Nimby loolahs!
They appear to have missed the news about the chronic accommodation situation.
@Trevor Hayden: the pesky kids are in there every weekend destroying it! It’s a well known local spot!
@Trevor Hayden: There’s a housing crisis, the government needs to build more homes! Just not in my back yard, build them somewhere else.
@Guy Incognito: I no longer live in leixlip but know of the traffic congestion that already exists.
@Trevor Hayden:
Tallaght is the olxest village in soutb Dublin with recards dating back to 800s, but people move in and modern loving takes over. If we want to live in or near and work in big cities we need housing.
The mistakes of buimding thousands of houses in the wilderness with no transport, shops or employment wont happen again. Modern planning doesnt allow it.
@Stephen Maher:
Sorry for the text speak. Must review before posting in the future.
Has someone finally copped that increasing supply to meet demand will keep property prices somewhat level! Lets hope there are more of these popping up around the country and soon!
@Jenny Kelleher: lack of supply has been known about for some time but lack of available finance to developers, lack of developers willing to take risks, lack of skilled workers and collapse of wet skills (IE plasters)apprentices has not been highlighted.
@Jenny Kelleher: somewhat level is well beyond the reach of most. Somewhat.
@Michael Duckster: Finance has been available for the last year or two at least to developers, as for the skills needed to build homes, this might entice a lot of Irish emigrants back after having to stay away for so long! We had the skills 10 years ago, I’m sure the have not simply been forgotten!
I very much doubt that these will fall into the “affordable” bracket…
Fast tracking? I look forward to finding out they ignored environmental reports and they turn out to be built on a flood plain or something similarly bad but it was ignored due to being rushed.
Finally a bit of the red tape put of the way lets hope we see some more of this
@Is Mise jay: There all ready has been, in Cork a few weeks ago, I think it was O’Flynn the builder in that case
Releasing 20 houses per phase no doubt.
@Paul Keane: This is not good news for a miserable git like you
@Robert Harris: Top man, Robert. I was unaware that realism constitutes for being miserable. Consider me educated.
Wonder what the commute will be like to Dublin for the new dwellers.
@Deborah Behan: Wonder if there are any jobs locally like in Intel,employing what 4000 /6000 ,worked there myself in 2003, when they were building the Fab 4 project ,3000 construction workers ,you see, not all jobs are in Dublin
@Deborah Behan: about 30mins by train or 45mins on dublin bus
@Joe Jackson:…by plane
@Joe Jackson: some walk to the train from the wonderful barn!
The noise from the M4 is horrific.
This is a unique building and should be left as a barn, in a field. Heritage structures like this should be cherished
@Michelle Keeley: It is being left in a field.
Will I start queuing now?
@Barney r:
Ah you can wait until the morning
That’ll do great things for the homeless.
@Niall Sheridan: Homelessness will not be solved overnight but increasing our housing stock might help towards reducing it! Try and see the positive in this one
@Jenny Kelleher: excellent and rational point.
@Niall Sheridan: Trickle down effect. More houses is never bad.
Great news
I’m from Leixlip. I live in the estate looking at this area. The barn is direct view from my kitchen. This needs to be done. Too many people who have mortgages holding up progress and keeping me here saving for a house. Hoping to buy one of these. Will be a park surrounding the barn site. Will be nice.
I’m from Leixlip. I live in the estate looking at this area. The barn is direct view from my kitchen. This needs to be done. Too many people who have mortgages holding up progress and keeping me here saving for a house. Hoping to buy one of these. Will be a park surrounding the barn site. Will be nice.
have your say