The Houston Health Department is launching a rapid public health response to a local syphilis outbreak that's already led to a 128% increase in cases among women since 2019.
In 2019, there were 1,845 new syphilis infections in Houston and the surrounding Harris County. In 2022, that number rose to 2,905, which indicates a 57% increase, the health department said in a July 13 press release.
Among women, the rise in cases was even sharper: There were 295 new cases in 2019, which increased to 674 cases in 2022.
Syphilis, a sexually transmitted infection caused by bacteria, can cause severe complications if it goes untreated, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say.
Cases of syphilis and other STIs, including chlamydia and gonorrhea, have risen steadily over the past two decades across the country, experts warned previously. Despite a dip in cases in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, rates started increasing again in 2021.
The rise in cases is also a concern because having syphilis during pregnancy can pass the infection to the baby, which can be deadly. Congenital syphilis cases in the U.S. have been rising since 2012, according to CDC monitoring.
In Houston and Harris County, public health officials have seen significant increases in congenital syphilis, the health department said. In 2016, there were 16 congenital syphilis cases in the area. In 2021, the most recent year for which data are available, there were 151 cases of congenital syphilis.
While syphilis can be treated with antibiotics, the early symptoms — fever, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, hair loss, muscle aches, fatigue — can go unnoticed or be mistakenly attributed to another condition. In the later stages of syphilis infection, people may develop damage to the brain, nerves, heart and more, the CDC says.
“It is crucial for pregnant women to seek prenatal care and syphilis testing to protect themselves from an infection that could result in the deaths of their babies,” Marlene McNeese Ward, deputy assistant director in the department’s Bureau of HIV/STI and Viral Hepatitis Prevention, said in a press release.
Some people may only need to be tested once during their pregnancy, the CDC says. But others, depending on their risk factors, may need to be tested for syphilis at their first prenatal visit, during the third trimester and when their baby is born, the CDC explains.
To help manage the outbreak, the Houston Health Department is waiving all clinical fees for STIs at the department's health centers and expanding the use of its mobile STI clinics in specific areas, the press release says.
Officials are also working with local medical providers and community-based organizations to make sure people are aware of the ongoing outbreak and the need for testing and treatment.