Last November, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that cases of congenital syphilis in the U.S. had soared 755% over the past decade, peaking at more than 3,700 in 2022 . The CDC’s review of that year’s cases revealed that nearly 90% were potentially preventable, resulting from a lack of timely testing and adequate treatment. An analysis of 2017-2019 Medicaid claims in 6 Southern states (Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee) found that despite state laws mandating prenatal syphilis screening, actual screening rates ranged from 56% to 91%. In a previous blog post , I discussed how the diversion of public health personnel and resources during the COVID-19 pandemic had hampered contact tracing efforts to prevent the spread of syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Since June 2023, syphilis treatment has been affected by a global shortage of injectable benzathine penicillin , leading the CDC to ad...
