All articles tagged with #syphilis
Research suggests syphilis existed in Europe before 1492, contradicting the theory that it was brought back from the Americas by explorers. Evidence includes skeletal remains, medieval art, and historical records.
An 83-year-old man in Belgium presented with facial nerve palsy, fever, anemia, and liver/kidney abnormalities. A severely itchy rash prompted testing that revealed Treponema pallidum infection, leading to a diagnosis of secondary syphilis with early neurosyphilis. He was treated with a 14‑day IV penicillin course, after an initial injection, with improvement and normalization of labs. The case highlights atypical, multisystem presentation of syphilis (including potential latent reactivation) and CNS involvement; public health authorities and his wife were notified/tested.
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.
European health authorities report a 2024 record in sexually transmitted infections, with gonorrhoea at 106,331 cases and syphilis at 45,577, while chlamydia remains the most reported STI at 213,443 and LGV at 3,490. Congenital syphilis cases rose from 78 to 140 across 14 reporting countries. The ECDC urges broader, faster testing and treatment and stronger partner notification, noting that 13 of 29 countries still charge out-of-pocket for basic STI tests, risking widening inequalities unless national STI strategies and surveillance are strengthened.
Europe recorded record levels of gonorrhoea and syphilis in 2024, with 106,331 gonorrhoea cases (up 303% since 2015) and 45,557 syphilis cases (more than doubling). The ECDC cites widening gaps in testing and prevention and warns of serious complications, including congenital syphilis; Spain posted the highest totals (gonorrhoea 37,169; syphilis 11,556).
U.S. maternal syphilis rose 28% from 2022–2024, helping drive a 700% increase in congenital syphilis since 2015. Experts say stagnant STI funding, COVID-19–related service disruptions, and barriers to prenatal care and testing (like Medicaid enrollment delays and stigma) are key factors. The piece emphasizes universal syphilis screening in the first and third trimesters and at delivery to prevent congenital syphilis, while noting ongoing gaps in access and funding that hinder effective prevention and treatment.
Researchers reconstructed the oldest Treponema pallidum genome from a 5,500-year-old Colombian hunter-gatherer, revealing a previously unknown lineage that diverged from modern strains before subspecies formed. The discovery shows treponemal diseases circulated in the Americas long before agriculture or dense populations, suggesting hunter‑gatherer ecologies and mobility helped spread the pathogen and expanding the historical context for syphilis origins.
The World Health Organization certified Denmark as the European Union’s first country to eliminate mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of HIV and syphilis, after meeting 2021–2024 targets with low infant transmission and high prenatal testing/treatment coverage. Elimination is defined as testing and treating at least 95% of pregnant women and keeping new infant infections under 50 per 100,000 births year after year. Denmark’s universal health system, strong data and laboratory capacity, and commitment to rights-based care underpinned the achievement, which comes with ongoing work toward triple elimination including hepatitis B; WHO notes Denmark joins a growing group of countries validated or certified for EMTCT milestones.
An 83-year-old man in Belgium presented with facial palsy and systemic symptoms; weeks in hospital revealed anemia, liver abnormalities, edema, and kidney dysfunction. A positive Treponema pallidum test and elevated white blood cells in cerebrospinal fluid led to a diagnosis of secondary syphilis with early neurosyphilis—an unusual presentation with an uncertain infection source, possibly a latent infection reactivation or a recent exposure. He received penicillin therapy and improved, highlighting the diagnostic challenge in atypical syphilis cases.
Arlington’s 2024 syphilis rate was 31.2 per 100,000, about 50% above Virginia’s average and more than double Northern Virginia’s rate, marking the highest Arlington rate since 2019. Officials cite a younger, highly mobile population and delays in diagnosis and have issued updated testing guidance and engaged clinicians through the Northern Virginia STI/HIV Taskforce to improve detection and treatment. National data show a 42% rise in syphilis from 2020–2024, underscoring the need for routine screening for sexually active people, while Arlington’s STI Clinic provides testing and free services for low‑income residents; prenatal testing to prevent congenital syphilis is also emphasized by Dr. Deidra Parrish, the new public health director.
A team analyzing a 5,500-year-old Treponema pallidum genome from a Colombian rock shelter found the pathogen’s lineage was already diverse and not a direct ancestor of modern syphilis, bejel, or yaws. Instead, it’s a sister lineage that diverged around 13,700 years ago, suggesting treponemal diseases spread with ancient humans across continents long before the 1495 Naples outbreak. The discovery challenges single-origin stories and points to a richer, pan-human history of these pathogens, though details about virulence and transmission remain unresolved.
Researchers recovered TE1-3, the oldest Treponema pallidum genome, from a 5,500-year-old skeleton in Sabana de Bogotá, Colombia, pushing the bacterium’s presence in the Americas back by thousands of years and fueling the argument that syphilis may have originated in the Americas, though the exact origin and transmission routes remain unsettled.
A 5,500-year-old shin bone from Colombia yielded DNA of a close relative of the syphilis bacterium, providing the oldest evidence that syphilis originated in the Americas long before European contact.
The Maldives has become the first country to achieve 'triple elimination' of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B, thanks to strong political will, integrated healthcare, and universal coverage, setting a global example in public health.
Baltimore has seen a nearly fourfold increase in congenital syphilis cases among infants over the past decade, surpassing national rates, due to factors like inadequate screening, stigma, and rising infections among women of childbearing age, prompting city officials to enhance testing and treatment efforts.