The number of reported syphilis cases is rising rapidly on Long Island and across the nation, causing severe illness among thousands of individuals and leading to a troubling increase in infant deaths. Experts attribute the spread of the bacterial disease to an underfunded public health system, reduced condom use, and a lack of testing.
Dr. Khalil Ghanem, a professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University and immediate past president of the American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association, expressed concern at the lack of effective screening for people at high risk of contracting syphilis.
On Long Island, the number of newly diagnosed early syphilis cases has more than quadrupled over the past decade, from 118 to 508, according to state Department of Health data.
Nationally, there were nearly 177,000 newly reported syphilis cases in 2021, compared with about 46,000 in 2011. However, Ghanem believes these numbers are likely underestimates due to undiagnosed cases.
The disease is also affecting an increasing number of newborns, leading to a tenfold increase in congenital syphilis cases from 335 in 2012 to 3,761 in 2022. Of these cases, 282 resulted in stillbirths or infant deaths, according to a report released by the CDC.
Experts warn that timely identification and appropriate treatment are crucial to prevent the transmission of syphilis from mother to baby. However, a nationwide benzathine penicillin shortage may exacerbate the increase in congenital rates. Lack of prenatal care among birth mothers is also a concerning factor in the increase of congenital syphilis cases, with nearly 38% of them receiving no prenatal care.
Federal funding for STD programs is also being cut, indicating a lack of urgency in combating the spread of the disease. Despite the fact that syphilis rates were once in decline after the introduction of penicillin in 1943, rates are once again on the rise, with experts citing decreased condom use and increased injection-drug use as contributing factors.
Experts are calling for increased funding for aggressive public health measures to control the infection, believing that if enough money is allocated to the problem, syphilis rates will fall. Meanwhile, state and local health departments are continuing their efforts to search for and notify partners of those who test positive for the disease.
Overall, it is clear that there is a pressing need for a renewed commitment to addressing the rising rates of syphilis to prevent severe health complications and infant deaths.