Cases of a devastating STI are on the rise and newborns are at high risk for deadly complications.<\/p>\n
The deadly and entirely preventable disease has claimed the lives of 42 babies in Australia, and a spike in cases in the US has experts worried about a potential uptick in domestic deaths.<\/p>\n
Across the US, syphilis cases have risen sharply over the past decade. In states like New York, infections have increased fivefold since 2013, reflecting a broader nationwide trend.<\/p>\n
Last month, several California counties<\/a> reported particularly alarming rates.<\/p>\n Congenital syphilis \u2014 when the\u00a0infection is passed from a pregnant mother to her baby\u00a0\u2014 has skyrocketed. Konstantin Koekin \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n Even more concerning, federal data shows congenital syphilis \u2014 when the\u00a0infection is passed from a pregnant mother to her baby<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 has skyrocketed by 700% compared to roughly ten years ago.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a physician and former public health official, I have never been more concerned about those rates of congenital syphilis,\u201d Jeffrey D. Klausner, a clinical professor of medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, wrote in an op-ed for STAT<\/a> this week.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Left untreated, congenital syphilis can lead to miscarriage, premature birth, skeletal abnormalities, neurological problems, developmental delays, stillbirth or infant death shortly after birth.<\/p>\n In 2024, the CDC reported<\/a>\u00a0nearly 4,000 new cases of congenital syphilis, the highest case number since the mid-1950s. <\/p>\n In Australia, the disease has been the cause of 42 infant deaths in the past decade and a source of infection for countless others, leading the country\u2019s\u00a0Chief Medical Officer to deem it a \u201ccommunicable disease incident of national significance.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt worries us a lot. It\u2019s 100% important not to allow it to spread and to become endemic,\u201d University of Adelaide Emeritus Professor Maciej Henneberg told\u00a0the outlet.<\/p>\n Syphilis is spread by vaginal, anal or oral sex. Symptoms typically emerge 10 to 90 days after exposure, starting with a painless sore at the site where the bacterium Treponema pallidum enters the body.<\/p>\n Syphilis is typically diagnosed with a blood test. BSIP\/Universal Images Group via Getty Images<\/p>\n The sore can heal on its own in three to six weeks, even as the infection persists.<\/p>\n In the next stage of infection, symptoms can include a rash, fever, fatigue, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes and hair loss.<\/p>\n If not addressed, it can\u00a0devastate the brain<\/a>, heart, and nervous system, leading to blindness, paralysis, and even death.<\/p>\n Syphilis is typically diagnosed with a blood test. <\/p>\n Despite progress in\u00a0reducing other sexually transmitted infections<\/a>\u00a0like chlamydia and gonorrhea, congenital syphilis has continued to climb year after year in the US. <\/p>\n By 2024, it marked 12 consecutive years of increases, reaching its highest level since 1994.<\/p>\n According to the CDC<\/a>, most cases of congenital syphilis are the result of pregnant women not being tested for syphilis or not being properly treated when they test positive. <\/p>\n Syphilis can be effectively treated \u2014 and cured \u2014 with antibiotics such as penicillin, particularly when caught in its early stages. Martin Valigursky \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n Lack of insurance or access, fear of immigration detention, substance use and mental health problems can all create barriers to proper prenatal care and testing.<\/p>\n Even among women who do receive appropriate prenatal care, only 80% are\u00a0tested<\/a> for syphilis. <\/p>\n The disease can be effectively treated \u2014 and cured \u2014 with antibiotics such as penicillin, particularly when caught in its early stages.<\/p>\n