And Grannie... what big eyes, er, teeth...

...oh, never mind...

The per capita rate of new syphilis cases across Canada has soared almost 10-fold since 2000, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. Chlamydia rates, after falling through most of the 1990s, have jumped 66% since 2000, with more than 87,000 total new cases in 2009.

The phenomenon seems particularly relevant to middle-aged and older people, who appear to be flooding to dating websites, and are generally less apt to practise safe sex, suggest some analysts.

It's a brave new world.