Reports of syphilis are on the rise in the Seattle area

Health officials in Seattle and nearby the King County have reported a significant hike in the area's number of syphilis cases, according to SeattlePI News.

Between 2009 and 2010, the region saw an 82 percent increase in syphilis reports, up to 283 cases by the end of the year, the news source noted.

The newspaper added that local health officials are gearing safe-sex campaigns toward homosexual men, since this group accounted for 90 percent of new reports.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), gay men also represent the majority of new syphilis cases nationwide. The source said that more than 60 percent of individuals who contract syphilis over the course of a given year are men who have sex with men.

The CDC warns that although many people who have syphilis do not show symptoms, the disease may cause serious health problems if it is left untreated. Some of its complications include vision loss, nerve damage, dementia and stillbirth.

Syphilis may be cured at any stage with medication, but treatment cannot undo the damage caused by the advanced disease.

Online testing services are available to anyone who would like to be screened for sexually transmitted diseases.