China has seen a dramatic rise in cases of syphilis, as a result of rapid social change

Syphilis is now the most commonly reported communicable disease in Shanghai, the second-largest city. Pregnant women are also increasingly passing the disease to their children, with more than one baby with congenital syphilis born every hour in 2008. No other country has seen such a rise since the discovery of penicillin. Syphilis was almost eradicated from China in the 1950s with a sweeping program of antibiotics and brothel shutdowns. But researchers say around 20 people in every 100,000 in China carries the infection. The rise is due to China's economic reforms and the growing number of migrant workers and men with expendable income, which has led to a growth in the commercial sex industry.