Cases of syphilis in Britain are at their highest since the Second World War, a report has revealed. Figures show there were more than 7,000 cases of syphilis in 2018, the worst figure since 1945 when almost 20,000 people were diagnosed. Overall, there were nearly half a million cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in 2018, a rise of five per cent from the previous year. That means one person is being diagnosed with an STI every 70 seconds.