The number of syphilis cases in the region have nearly tripled since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the Canton City Public Health, the number of syphilis cases have grown from 41 in 2020, to 68 in 2021, to 109 last year.
Three of the cases from 2022 were congenital cases, meaning the bacterial infection was passed from the mother to unborn child, which can lead to a lifetime of health issues.
Babies born with congenital syphilis can have bone damage, severe anemia, enlarged liver and spleen, jaundice, nerve problems causing blindness or deafness, meningitis, or skin rashes, according to the cdc.gov website.
The Ohio Department of Health cites substance abuse along with unsafe sex for the recent spike in cases.
Across Ohio, 25-to-34-year-olds make up the most cases of syphilis, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
Free sexually-transmitted disease testing is available every Tuesday and Fire morning. Find out more here: STD Testing
