"HIV, syphilis cluster affecting at least 125 people discovered in Milwaukee"

From JSOnline:

James E. Causey and Mary Spicuzza, Milwaukee Published 2:20 p.m. CT March 6, 2018 | Updated 1:07 p.m. CT March 7, 2018

 

At least 125 people — including some high school students — have contracted HIV, syphilis or both in one of the largest sexually transmitted infection “clusters” discovered in Milwaukee, health care advocates confirmed to the Journal Sentinel. 

Three local babies were also born with syphilis last year, health officials said.

“This is an epidemic people are not talking about enough, and it leads to people taking unnecessary risks,” said Melissa Ugland, a public health consultant who works with a number of local nonprofit organizations that focus on public health.

There has been no announcement to the general public from the Milwaukee Health Department as of Tuesday.

Fewer than 10% of the 125 people who tested positive are Milwaukee Public Schools students, but health care experts anticipate that the numbers could increase as more people come forward.

A cluster is an aggregation of disease closely grouped in time and place. This cluster was identified as such because the people in it could all be connected, and were in contact with each other during a 12-month, identifiable period, Ugland said.

Read more: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2018/03/06/hiv-syphilis-clusters-affecting-least-125-people-including-high-school-students-discovered-milwaukee/397534002/