The syphilis rate in Metro Vancouver B.C. has reached a 30-year high. Vancouver Coastal Health medical health officer Dr. Reka Gustafson said that syphilis rates are at epidemic proportions, especially in the Lower Mainland's gay and bisexual communities. In 2012, there were 371 cases reported in B.C., most of those with the disease were gay and bisexual men. The sexually transmitted disease is highly contagious. If left untreated, syphilis can lead to blindness, hearing loss, neurological problems and in severe cases can be fatal.
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