Table 3.
Characteristics of reported syphilis cases (all stages) with neurologic, ocular, and otic manifestations — 16 states, 2019a
| Characteristic | Syphilis cases | Neurologic manifestations | Ocular manifestations | Otic manifestations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | n (%, Row) | n (%, Row) | n (%, Row) | |
| Total | 41,187 | 445 (1.1) | 461 (1.1) | 166 (0.4) |
| Age category at diagnosis | ||||
| 15–24 years old | 7,618 | 29 (0.4) | 30 (0.4) | 19 (0.3) |
| 25–34 years old | 16,210 | 116 (0.7) | 124 (0.8) | 54 (0.3) |
| 35–44 years old | 9,012 | 103 (1.1) | 120 (1.3) | 30 (0.3) |
| 45–54 years old | 5,056 | 85 (1.7) | 96 (1.9) | 33 (0.7) |
| 55–64 years old | 2,432 | 68 (2.8) | 61 (2.5) | 20 (0.8) |
| ≥ 65 years old | 854 | 44 (5.1) | 30 (3.5) | 10 (1.2) |
| Missing/unknown | 5 | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Sex | ||||
| Female | 8,521 | 106 (1.2) | 108 (1.3) | 58 (0.7) |
| Male | 32,653 | 338 (1.0) | 352 (1.1) | 108 (0.3) |
| Missing/unknown | 13 | 1 (7.7) | 1 (7.7) | 0 (0) |
| Race/Hispanic ethnicity | ||||
| AI/AN, non-Hispanic | 691 | 9 (1.3) | 9 (1.3) | 2 (0.3) |
| Asian, non-Hispanic | 631 | 5 (0.8) | 8 (1.3) | 1 (0.2) |
| Black, non-Hispanic | 18,715 | 145 (0.8) | 128 (0.7) | 45 (0.2) |
| NH/PI, non-Hispanic | 138 | 2 (1.5) | 2 (1.5) | 0 (0) |
| White, non-Hispanic | 10,770 | 214 (2.0) | 229 (2.1) | 95 (0.9) |
| Other, non-Hispanic | 646 | 6 (0.9) | 10 (1.6) | 1 (0.2) |
| Multirace, non-Hispanic | 1,809 | 25 (1.4) | 24 (1.3) | 10 (0.6) |
| Hispanic | 6,303 | 28 (0.4) | 37 (0.6) | 9 (0.1) |
| Missing/unknown | 1,484 | 11 (0.7) | 14 (0.9) | 3 (0.2) |
| Sex and sex of sex partners | ||||
| Men who have sex with menb | 15,026 | 158 (1.1) | 174 (1.2) | 67 (0.5) |
| Men who have sex with women only | 5,763 | 60 (1.0) | 71 (1.2) | 18 (0.3) |
| Men with unknown sex of sex partners | 11,864 | 120 (1.0) | 107 (0.9) | 23 (0.2) |
| Womenc | 8,521 | 106 (1.2) | 108 (1.3) | 58 (0.7) |
| Missing/unknown sex | 13 | 1 (7.7) | 1 (7.7) | 0 (0) |
| HIV-infected | ||||
| Yes | 12,558 | 179 (1.4) | 168 (1.3) | 51 (0.4) |
| No | 18,489 | 168 (0.9) | 193 (1.0) | 82 (0.4) |
| Missing/unknown | 10,140 | 98 (1.0) | 100 (1.0) | 33 (0.3) |
| Syphilis surveillance stage | ||||
| Primary | 4,859 | 24 (0.5) | 21 (0.4) | 7 (0.1) |
| Secondary | 8,264 | 110 (1.3) | 127 (1.5) | 53 (0.6) |
| Early non-primary non-secondary | 14,047 | 81 (0.6) | 93 (0.7) | 38 (0.3) |
| Unknown duration or late | 14,017 | 230 (1.6) | 220 (1.6) | 68 (0.5) |
| Injection drug use past 12 months | ||||
| Yes | 1,582 | 45 (2.8) | 53 (3.4) | 26 (1.6) |
| No | 21,696 | 235 (1.1) | 267 (1.2) | 97 (0.5) |
| Missing/unknown | 17,909 | 165 (0.9) | 141 (0.8) | 43 (0.2) |
Abbreviations: AI/AN, American Indian/Alaska Native; NH/PI, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander
States reporting ≥70% of syphilis cases ≥15 years old with clinical manifestation response values that were not missing or unknown in 2019 were included in the analysis. Values shown for prevalence represent the total of verified, likely, and possible neurologic, ocular, and otic clinical manifestations.
The men who have sex with men category included gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men.
A total of 200 women were reported to have neurologic, ocular, and/or otic manifestations of syphilis in the 16 included jurisdictions during 2019. Among these women, 137/200 (68.5%) were reported as having only male partners, 9/200 (4.5%) were reported as having male and female partners, and 54/200 (27.0%) were reported with unknown or missing sex of sex partners.