Grim Victorian Syphilis disease hits 'alarming' record high in UK as map shows hotspots

A grim victorian disease that causes painful sores and can turn life-threatening if left untreated is sweeping across one major region of the UK, with cases at an all-time high since 2012.

Syphilisdiagnoses have soared to record highs in Yorkshireand Humber, with new data revealing a troubling spike in sexually transmitted infections. According to latest figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), there were 494 cases of infectious syphilis in the region in 2024, marking an increase from 470 the previous year - and the highest number since records began in 2012. In total, the area recorded 28,273 STI cases last year, including 15,180 cases of chlamydiaand 4,408 of gonorrhoea. Across the country, infectious syphilis cases nudged up from 9,375 in 2023 to 9,535 in 2024, while overall STI diagnoses in England fell by 8%, with 364,750 cases reported.

This overall drop was influenced by a 16% fall in gonorrhoea diagnoses and a 13% decrease in chlamydia cases, Yorkshire Live reports. But the UKHSA also says there have been 14 instances of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea so far in 2025, surpassing the 13 cases noted throughout the entirety of 2024.

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STI cases across Yorshire and Humber by area

Kirklees

• STI diagnoses 2024: 2,233
• Chlamydia 2024: 1,024
• Gonorrhoea 2024: 396
• Syphilis 2024: 46, increase from 35 in 2023 (highest figure since records began in 2012)

Calderdale

• STI diagnoses 2024: 1,156
• Chlamydia 2024: 470
• Gonorrhoea 2024: 162
• Syphilis 2024: 31 (up from 17 the year before and the highest figure since records began in 2012)

Leeds

• STI diagnoses 2024: 5,743 (down 29%)
• STI diagnoses 2023: 8,069
• Chlamydia 2024: 3,335
• Gonorrhoea 2024: 952
• Syphilis 2024: 92

Bradford

• STI diagnoses 2024: 2,593 (down 3%)
• STI diagnoses 2023: 2,685
• Chlamydia 2024: 1,270
• Gonorrhoea 2024: 424
• Syphilis 2024: 39

Sheffield

• STI diagnoses 2024: 3,551
• STI diagnoses 2023: 3,573
• Chlamydia 2024: 1,895
• Gonorrhoea 2024: 597
• Syphilis 2024: 78

Barnsley

• STI diagnoses 2024: 1,260 (down 6%)
• STI diagnoses 2023: 1,347
• Chlamydia 2024: 642
• Gonorrhoea 2024: 185
• Syphilis 2024: 23

Rotherham

• STI diagnoses 2024: 1,464 (down 9%)
• STI diagnoses 2023: 1,615
• Chlamydia 2024: 809
• Gonorrhoea 2024: 205
• Syphilis 2024: 29

Doncaster

• STI diagnoses 2024: 1,233
• Chlamydia 2024: 651
• Gonorrhoea 2024: 238
• Syphilis 2024: 38 (up from 37 the year before and the highest figure since records began in 2012)

North Yorkshire

• STI diagnoses 2024: 1,827
• Chlamydia 2024: 917
• Gonorrhoea 2024: 225
• Syphilis 2024: 36 (up from 21 the year before and the highest figure since records began in 2012)

York

• STI diagnoses 2024: 1,119(down 7%)
• STI diagnoses 2023: 1,201
• Chlamydia 2024: 616
• Gonorrhoea 2024: 136
• Syphilis 2024: 15

East Yorkshire

• STI diagnoses 2024: 1,134 (down 9%)
• STI diagnoses 2023: 1,250
• Chlamydia 2024: 642
• Gonorrhoea 2024: 144
• Syphilis 2024: 11

Hull

• STI diagnoses 2024: 1,710 (down 8%)
• STI diagnoses 2023: 1,856
• Chlamydia 2024: 861
• Gonorrhoea 2024: 282
• Syphilis 2024: 12

Dr Hamish Mohammed, a consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: "Levels of STIs in this country remain a big threat to sexual wellbeing. These infections can have a major impact on your health and that of any sexual partners – particularly if they are antibiotic resistant."

"If you've had condomless sex with new or casual partners – either in the UK or overseas – get tested for STIs and HIV at least yearly, even if you don't have symptoms. Regular testing protects both you and those you're having sex with.

"From August, eligible people will also be offered vaccination to reduce the risk of gonorrhoea, and we expect to see the immunisation programme have an impact on diagnoses of this infection in coming years – please take up the vaccine if you are offered it."

Professor Matt Phillips, who leads the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, said that while there's been a decrease in overall STI diagnoses this year, the persistence of historically high rates of sexual infections like syphilis-now at unprecedented levels-is alarming. He said: "We nonetheless continue to see historically high rates of sexual infection, with particularly worrying continued increases in infections such as syphilis, which are at their highest-ever levels, and the continued spread of antibiotic-resistant disease.

"It is vital that clear steps are put in place to reverse these trends. Sexual health services remain under immense pressure and these new tools risk being deployed into overstretched systems unable to support them effectively. We find ourselves at a critical point for securing the long-term viability of sexual health services in this country.

"Only a joined-up, ambitious national strategy can ensure that we are prepared not just for today's sexual health challenges, but for those we know are coming."