Rates of the most dangerous form of syphilis have tripled since 2016, health officials have warned.
New data from the CDC shows that 280.4 pregnant women per 100,000 births tested positive for the sexually transmitted disease in 2022, compared to 87.2 per 100,000 births in 2016.
Of particular concern is the risk of congenital syphilis, a preventable but serious disease that occurs when a woman transmits the infection to her baby during pregnancy. About 40 percent of babies born to women with untreated syphilis are stillborn or die from the infection as newborns.
There is also an increased risk of premature birth and birth defects, including bone damage, severe anemia, enlarged liver and spleen, jaundice, nerve problems causing blindness or deafness, meningitis or skin rashes.
It comes amid a national outbreak of syphilis and other STDs such as chlamydia, blamed onregular hookups and the ‘explosion’ of popularity of dating apps like Hinge and Bumble.
At the same time, rates of premature births and birth defects have increased in recent years, baffling doctors.
The rate of syphilis in pregnant women has increased 222 percent between 2016 and 2022, according to a CDC report.
Syphilis rates increased by more than 400 percent in six states: New Mexico, Colorado, Mississippi, South Dakota, Montana and Alaska.
More than 10,000 women who gave birth in 2022 had syphilis, a sharp increase from 3,400 in 2016, meaning there was one case of maternal syphilis for every 357 births.
Nationally, there were 3,755 cases of congenital syphilis in 2022, a 10-fold increase from the previous decade and a 31 percent increase year over year.
This caused 282 stillbirths and infant deaths in 2022.
The CDC report also showed that the rate of syphilis among women of reproductive age and congenital syphilis (a preventable but serious condition that occurs when a woman passes the infection to her baby during pregnancy) increased by more than 250 percent among 2016 and 2022.
Syphilis is a bacterial infection caused by the bacteria Treponema pallidum that causes sores around the genitals and mouth.
Syphilis rates increased by more than 400 percent in six states: New Mexico, Colorado, Mississippi, South Dakota, Montana and Alaska.
The state with the largest change in the rate was South Dakota, where the rate increased 763 percent between 2016 and 2022.
Less than 100 percent increases in syphilis rates were seen in seven states: Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Virginia, Idaho and Utah.
There were no significant changes in three states: Maine, Vermont and Wyoming.
A CDC report in November attributed the rise in congenital syphilis to a lack of “adequate treatment during pregnancy.”
Between 2017 and 2022, the rate of syphilis in women of reproductive age and congenital syphilis (a preventable but serious condition that occurs when a pregnant woman passes the infection to her baby during pregnancy) increased by more than 250 percent.
Dr. Irene Stafford, a maternal-fetal physician at UTHealth Houston, told CNN: ‘The overwhelming majority of pregnant patients these days simply don’t get tested.
“And even if they get tested, they don’t necessarily get treatment in a timely manner.”
According to the CDC report, maternal syphilis rates are lowest among women who begin prenatal care in the first trimester.
Rates are highest (nearly four times the average) among women who do not receive any prenatal care.
Primary syphilis usually begins as a sore on the vagina and penis or around the mouth that, even without medication, usually disappears within a few weeks.
It can develop into a rash on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet and, in most cases, can be cured with a single injection of penicillin.
Early-stage syphilis can be treated with antibiotics.
Secondary syphilis manifests itself as a skin rash, lesions, and swollen lymph nodes.
In severe cases and if left untreated, syphilis can cause organ failure, blindness, and even death.
Years after exposure, the infection can affect vital organs and the nervous system, according to the CDC, potentially causing blindness or dementia.
Symptoms in pregnant women include sores around the vagina, rash on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet, hair loss, muscle aches, and fever.
Once infected, anyone can transmit syphilis. It is transmitted from person to person through direct contact with a sore and during vaginal, anal or oral sex.
Some experts point to a drop in condom use among American men: nearly 30 percent since 2011, according to some studies.