According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a number of cases of ocular syphilis have been discovered in Michigan, USA.
The agency this week reported five cases of ocular syphilis in women who shared a male sexual partner.
The infections are believed to have occurred between March and July 2022.
All women aged 40 to 60 who were treated with penicillin named the same partner when asked about their sexual history.
Three of them mentioned meeting the man online, the New York Post reports.
Symptoms observed in patients included blurred or double vision, floating, headaches, sensitivity to light, skin rashes, and genital lesions.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, symptoms may also include red eyes, eye pain, or eye damage.
Upon investigation, the CDC discovered that the man in question had been treated for suspected herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection but had not been tested for syphilis when he arrived at the hospital with lesions on his body.
After contact by health authorities, the man, who no longer showed any symptoms, was diagnosed with early latent syphilis.