Concerning Rise in Syphilis Cases Among Women in Houston: A 128% Increase Sparks Public Health Attention

Syphilis cases among women have increased 128 percent in Houston, prompting health officials to issue a warning about an outbreak.

In Houston and Harris County, the prevalence of congenital syphilis, which occurs when a syphilis-positive mother infects her unborn child, increased nine-fold.

According to a press release from the Houston Health Department, the number of cases among women rose to 674 in 2022 from 295 in 2019. “The number of cases of congenital syphilis increased dramatically from 16 in 2016 to 151 in 2021. ”.

The city is starting outreach programs in response, including more thorough disease screening. The health department declared that it would not charge for testing for STDs at its facilities.

The Mayo Clinic states that syphilis is a bacterial infection that is typically passed between partners through sexual contact. The disease typically manifests as painless sores.

The sores frequently go unnoticed because they are painless. The CDC advises seeking medical attention despite the fact that the sores will persist for 3-6 weeks irrespective of treatment in order to stop the infection from moving on to a later, more dangerous stage.

Syphilis can be treated with one dose of antibiotics when it is in its early stages. However, “without treatment, syphilis can seriously harm the heart, brain, or other organs, and can even be fatal. ”.

Health officials are particularly concerned about the undetected transmission of syphilis from mothers to unborn children.

Marlene McNeese Ward, deputy assistant director in the department’s Bureau of HIV/STI and Viral Hepatitis Prevention, issued a statement saying, “It is imperative for pregnant women to seek prenatal care and syphilis testing to protect themselves from an infection that could result in the deaths of their babies.”.

She said, “A pregnant woman needs to get tested for syphilis three times during her pregnancy,” namely at a prenatal visit, during the third trimester, and once more after delivery.

The statement continued that untreated syphilis can cause stillbirth or death soon after birth.

The CDC reports that although congenital syphilis was once “nearly eliminated,” cases have recently “more than tripled” in the United States.
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Despite the fact that syphilis cases are on the rise, the CDC warns that it cannot be spread via doorknobs, toilet seats, or even by sharing utensils.

The CDC advises using condoms if you are sexually active, even though contact with sores in areas not covered by a condom can still spread the disease. The best way to prevent syphilis is to avoid contact with the sores caused by the infection.