Health officials are reporting an outbreak of syphilis in Houston, Texas.according to Recent releases According to the Houston Health Department, the number of infected women has increased by 128 percent. According to recent data, there were 295 cases in 2019, compared to 674 in 2022. New infections increased by 57 percent between 2019 and 2022 for both men and women.
Congenital syphilis, which untreated mothers with syphilis pass to their babies, is also on the rise in Houston. Only 16 cases were reported in 2016. By 2021, that number will surge to 151. Congenital syphilis can be prevented, but pregnant women should be tested for syphilis immediately. If the test result is positive, treatment with antibiotics is possible. However, left untreated syphilis in pregnancy can cause miscarriage or stillbirth. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 40 percent of babies born to women with untreated syphilis may die or be stillborn from the infection in neonatal life.
“Prenatal care and syphilis testing are essential to help pregnant women protect themselves from infections that can lead to fetal death,” said Marlene McNeice Ward, deputy assistant director of the Department of HIV/Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Viral Hepatitis. It is very important to receive the prevention. “Pregnant women should be tested for syphilis three times during pregnancy.”
To combat the spread of the disease, the Houston Department of Health has announced that it will waive all “STI fees at health centers.” In addition, increase access to HIV/STD mobile clinics to enhance testing and education. The outbreak in Houston mirrors national trends. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis all increased from 2020 to 2021, according to the report. CDC data. A 32% surge in syphilis cases, congenital syphilis That number increased by 32 percent, resulting in 220 stillbirths and infant deaths.
