California Department of Public Health Director and State Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith reported Monday that California has seen an increase in syphilis cases among women, pregnant women and newborns over the past two years.
“The increase in congenital syphilis is particularly concerning,” Dr. Smith said. “Congenital syphilis occurs when syphilis is transmitted from an infected mother to her child during pregnancy. It is a needless tragedy that can be prevented with good prenatal care and timely and effective treatment.”
From 2012 to 2014, the annual number of reported early syphilis cases among women statewide more than doubled from 248 cases to 594, CDPH reported.
In Lake County, there were no such cases reported in 2012, with six cases reported in 2013 and three in 2014, according to data compiled by CDPH.
CDPH said the annual number of reported congenital syphilis cases more than tripled during the 2012 to 2014 time period, rising from 30 to 100.
Only two congenital syphilis cases were reported in Lake County during the 2012-14 time frame, both in 2013, the state reported.
Syphilitic stillbirths also increased statewide, from one case in 2012 to six cases in 2014. None of those cases occurred in Lake County, based on state data.
The increasing trend of syphilis among women appears to be continuing in 2015, officials said.
Most of the congenital syphilis cases have been reported in the Central Valley and Los Angeles County.
CDPH has not identified a cause for the increase in congenital syphilis, which officials said is often associated with poverty and lack of access to health care.
Officials said most of the women who gave birth to babies with congenital syphilis did not receive adequate or timely prenatal care.
“When women do not receive proper prenatal care, they’re missing a crucial opportunity to be screened for syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs),” Dr. Smith said. “It is vital that pregnant women get comprehensive prenatal care, including getting tested for STDs, to avoid transmitting infections to their babies.”
CDPH is addressing the rise of syphilis cases by working with local health departments to identify causes, reach out to infected pregnant women to make sure they and their partners are treated, and intensify efforts to follow-up on contacts of syphilis cases, particularly women of childbearing age.
The agency also is partnering with the health care community to work to increase enrollment for women. This is in addition to developing patient and provider informational materials focused on congenital syphilis.
More information about syphilis is available on the CDPH Web site, www.cdph.ca.gov .
Health officials report that syphilis cases increase among women in California
- Lake County News reports
- Posted On