Fueled by a sharp rise among blacks, the nation's syphilis rate has reached its highest point in more than four decades, Federal officials said today.

In contrast, syphilis rates among white males have dropped by 69 percent since 1982, to 3.2 cases per 100,000.

The decline is all the more mysterious because it is occuring even as rising syphilis rates betray a failure of disease control programs.

In 1981, the national syphilis rate was less than 70 cases per 100,000, Dr. Frieden said.

But early reports indicate that syphilis rates jumped in 2003 for the third consecutive year.

Meanwhile, syphilis rates reached a record low.

And even in New York, where medical experts said syphilis rates were dropping off, a cluster of cases appears occasionally.

The syphilis rate is the highest in 40 years.

If there's any good news in the CDC report, it is that the syphilis rate went down for the first time in 10 years.

Even here, where the syphilis rate is the second highest in the country among major cities, topped only by Indianapolis, the numbers are less than staggering.