Rising rates of syphilis in the era of syphilis elimination.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the impact of syphilis control activities in King County, Washington.

Study Design: We calculated rates of early syphilis and trends in numbers of persons tested and diagnosed through screening and partner notification from 1998 to 2005.

Results: Early syphilis cases increased from 38 in 1998 to 188 in 2005 with 92% occurring among men who have sex with men (MSM).