(Focal Foto / flickr)

November marks a disturbing increase in the number of syphilis cases around the country and that has led to an even more disturbing rise in the number of babies born with the sexually transmitted disease. Last year alone, over 3,700 babies got the illness, which is more than ten times the number from a decade ago.

Dr. David Pate, former CEO of St. Luke's Health System, joined Idaho Matters to talk more about syphilis and to give us some holiday travel tips to keep us as germ-free as possible over the next few weeks.