Rising Syphilis Cases in US State Mandates Testing for Pregnant Women!

United States: The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has put forth a public order and declared an outbreak on Thursday.

However, the health orders state that the infection is preventable through timely testing and treatment during pregnancy and now requires healthcare providers to offer syphilis testing. The timing of testing, as suggested by the officials:

• During the first and third trimester of pregnancy
• At delivery
• After a stillborn monument at twenty weeks of pregnancy happens
• At correctional facilities
• When a laboring woman (with a pregnancy-related condition) grants access to urgent care during the specified time frames.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis is urging his entire government to make a joint response to save the lives that are threatened because of the syphilis cases, including their congenital ones, as kdvr.com reported.

Jill Hunsaker Ryan, an executive director of the state health department, said, “Syphilis was once a rare disease,” and, “We are very concerned about this growing epidemic, both in the state and nationally. It is devastating for babies, but there is an effective treatment if caught in utero. The public health order that I am issuing will help us catch more of these cases prior to birth.”

More about Congenital syphilis

Congenital syphilis disease is generally the spreading of syphilis infection from a mother to her fetus. It can lead to the death of a baby, along with several varieties of severe health conditions like bone deformities, severe anemia, or brain and nerve problems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to the reports, 40 percent of the babies who are left untreated with congenital syphilis die during delivery time, as well as with health complications later in life.

Moreover, as per the official data, from 2018 until 2023, congenital syphilis cases have been raised many times in the state. In 2018, there were seven states, whereas in 2023, had 50 infection cases.

In 2024, so far already, 25 cases have been reported of congenital syphilis cases, including five stillbirths and two neonatal deaths.

Polis stated, “All expecting parents hope for the same thing — a healthy and happy baby. This statewide, coordinated response will help provide more consistent testing and care for those who are pregnant to help save lives and protect public health,” as kdvr.com reported.

The CDC described signs, symptoms, and the feeling of having a fever, swollen glands in the neck, sore throat, bald or patchy hair, fatigue, headaches, muscle pain, and weight loss, among others.