Queensland health strugles to contain syphilis outbreak

Submitted by news on Tue, Aug 7, 2012 - 11:28am
Queensland health staff are struggling to contain outbreaks of syphilis in some of the states regional indigenous communities.

Doctors say they cannot recruit enough staff and do not have the tools to adequately screen the population.

So far the disease has claimed the lives of two babies, who were stillborn after contracting it from their mothers.

Mount Isa and Townsville Health Service District clinical director staff specialist Dr Arun Menon said Queenslanders should be outraged that this was occurring in 21st century Australia.