MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on syphilis

22.12.2016

pursuant to Rule 133 of the Rules of Procedure

Mireille D’Ornano

B8-0002/2017

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on syphilis

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to Article 168 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

–  having regard to Rule 133 of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas syphilis is a bacterial infection caused by Treponema pallidum with an annual incidence rate of 5.6 million cases worldwide, and whereas syphilis leads to complications such as neurological or cardiovascular problems;

B.  whereas syphilis is increasingly prevalent in Europe, with 24 541 new cases in 2014, i.e. an incidence rate of 5.1 per 100 000; whereas in some Member States, such as France and Germany, syphilis incidence increased by more than 50% between 2010 and 2014; and whereas, moreover, screening remains inadequate;

C.  whereas, according to a study published in the journal Nature Microbiology on 5 December 2016, the two main strains of syphilis have shown resistance to the antibiotic azithromycin;

1.  Encourages the Commission to support research into innovative syphilis treatments, via the relevant agencies;

2.  Encourages the Member States to step up syphilis screening by developing, in particular, rapid, targeted and reliable screening tools.