
Congenital syphilis spike triggers infant deaths in Australia amid US surge
Australia has recorded 42 infant deaths from congenital syphilis over the past decade, even as the United States, facing a sharp rise in syphilis cases, reports a 700% increase in congenital syphilis over roughly ten years and nearly 4,000 new cases in 2024. Health experts emphasize that congenital syphilis is preventable with early prenatal testing and treatment, and call for expanded rapid point-of-care testing, same-day penicillin, and better integration of prenatal care with substance-use services to avert fetal and infant harm.












