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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A baby has been born in Yellowknife infected with syphilis, according to the Department of Health and Social Services.

The total number of cases in the city has reached 22, bringing the territory-wide total to 55.

Wanda White, communicable disease specialist for Health and Social Services, said with a continuing growth in cases and now with the first case of congenital syphilis, there is a heightened concern among territorial health officials and the general population.

"People are scared," she said. "It's like everything else. People are much more scared when it's closer to home. As a society we always tried to protect the vulnerable and we're no different now. People hate to see infants be made sick for no reason of their own."

Congenital syphilis occurs when a child is born to a mother with primary, secondary or tertiary syphilis. Some infants with congenital syphilis have symptoms at birth, like open lesions or sores, but most develop symptoms later. Untreated babies can have deformities, delays in development or seizures along with many other problems such as rash, fever, swollen liver and spleen, anemia and jaundice.

"We're doing our best to identify anyone who could possibly have syphilis while their pregnant and treat them before it infects the fetus," White said. "In the NWT the doctors and nurses are screening the pregnant mothers twice during pregnancy in the early stages and the late stages.

"People who continue to have different sexual partners during pregnancy are being screened three times during their pregnancy."

White said the risk of a baby being infected with congenital syphilis depends on the situation.

"It depends on what stage of the pregnancy the mother gets infected and how long she has it before it is identified and treated," White said. "The earlier the exposure, the later the diagnosis."

White said while the number of new cases has dropped off in areas such as Fort Smith and in the Tlicho, where concern was high in the beginning, the growing numbers in Yellowknife are a cause for concern and people need to get tested.

"I think for us in the middle of this outbreak we just need people to come in and get tested if they've engaged in unsafe sexual practices," she said.

When the outbreak was first reported, chief medical officer Dr. Andre Corriveau said the sexually-transmitted infection was being reported in the high-risk community, particularly drug users, but the infection has now spread to the general population, according to White.

"I think it's a broader demographic than we were seeing initially," White said. "We are still seeing some activity in the higher risk community but we are now seeing activity in the general population. People really need to be selective and communicating about safe sex."

People are now able to call a central line and arrange appointments if they want to get tested. White said Health and Social Services is planning a bigger information campaign in the near future.

"We want people to have same-day appointments and access services very easily," White said. "We want to make sure we are doing everything we need to do to find the contacts and make sure everyone is being followed up."