SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The rate of Syphilis in South Dakota is seeing a meteoric rise in 2022, according to the South Dakota Department of Health (DOH). However, Syphilis isn’t the only STD tracked by the DOH, with both Chlamydia and Gonorrhea also being monitored.

Of the 56 infectious diseases tracked by the DOH, which include things such as plague, leprosy and cholera, none are seeing a spike on the level of Syphilis, which has climbed 900% in 2022. The only other diseases listed that have charted increases as of February 8, 2022 are salmonellosis (salmonella), which has doubled in 2022, and Gonorrhea, which has seen an 18% spike.

Meanwhile, Chlamydia, the other notable STD tracked by the state, has fallen by 10% in 2022. Just because it is trending downward, however, doesn’t mean it isn’t present in our communities.

According to DOH data, the 5-year median YTD (the average number of cases by this time of year) for Syphilis is 4 cases. This year, the state has recorded 40 cases as of Feb. 8.

The 5-years median YTD for Gonorrhea is 181 cases, while the state has recorded 213 cases so far in 2022.

As for Chlamydia, while it is the only one of the three for which rates have fallen, it is also the one most likely to be contracted, with a 5-year median YTD of 398 cases, and 357 reported so far this year.

As a matter of fact, no other diseases tracked by the DOH surveillance system have seen as many cases reported as these STDs, with Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and Syphilis taking first, second and third place, respectively. The next closest is chronic Hepatitis C (19 cases) and Salmonella (18 cases).

Of the 666 total cases of infectious diseases reported by Feb. 8, 2022, 610 of them (91.5%) are of Syphilis, Gonorrhea or Chlamydia. Chlamydia itself makes up 53.6% of all reported cases of infectious disease so far this year.

But where are you most likely to encounter these STDs?

For Syphilis, you’re most likely to catch it in Pennington, Minnehaha and Todd counties, with Pennington recording 11 cases this year, Minnehaha 9 and Todd 8.

For Gonorrhea, the top three counties remain the same, though Minnehaha takes the lead, with 64 cases, while Pennington follows up with 43 and Todd comes next with 24.

With Chlamydia, the case is quite similar to that of Syphilis and Gonorrhea, with Minnehaha ahead with 113 cases so far in 2022 and Pennington coming next with 48 cases, but this time with Oglala Lakota County in third, with 28 cases.