An Explosive Return of the 'Great Pox'

摘要

Examining a patient one day in the 1980s, newly minted doctor Chen Xiangsheng saw a pinkish rash covering the man's chest. He never imagined it could be syphilis, which was eliminated by an aggressive 1950s campaign that shut down brothels, screened sex workers, and administered penicillin. By the time Chen entered medical school in 1979, students were no longer trained to spot the disease. He thought his patient had pityriasis rosea, a skin rash. Chen's supervisor corrected the diagnosis. Chen has since become all too familiar with the telltale symptoms of a sexually transmitted disease (STD) once known as "the great pox." As breakneck economic development ushered in widespread migration, rising inequality, and evolving sexual mores, syphilis transmission spiked in China. It now holds the dubious title of the nation with the largest increase in reported cases in the penicillin era.