Linn Board of Health calls for more syphilis testing during pregnancies

A clinician tests a sample on Sept. 13, 2019, in the lab at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Iowa City. The Linn County Board of Health has adopted recommendations aimed at stemming the increased number of cases of congenital syphilis. (The Gazette)

CEDAR RAPIDS — Following an alarming increase in sexually transmitted infections locally and statewide, the Linn County Board of Health on Thursday published an action plan to combat the most concerning rise: congenital syphilis, when a woman passes the infection to her baby during pregnancy.

The board’s new position encourages local health care providers to work with Linn County Public Health by increasing testing for syphilis during pregnancies. The recommendations were:

Screening early in pregnancy.
Screening at 28 weeks gestation.
Screening at birth for high-risk patients, who may include those living in a community with a high syphilis rate, being at risk for syphilis during pregnancy because of substance use, being diagnosed with another sexually transmitted infection during pregnancy, and having multiple sexual partners, new partners or partners with sexually transmitted infections.
Adhering to treatment regimens recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Promptly reporting newly diagnosed cases to local public health.

“Over the past several years, there have been significant increases in the rates of syphilis and congenital syphilis on national, state and local levels,” said Pramod Dwivedi, the director of Linn County Public Health. “This statement addresses the rise in congenital syphilis cases and encourages a viable solution for turning the tide.”

Last year, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services identified 11 cases of congenital syphilis in the state passed on to babies at birth — an increase from the total 10 cases seen in the previous 15 years combined.

According to the CDC, congenital syphilis cases increased 701 percent nationwide from 2012 to 2021 — from 334 cases to 2,677. At the same time, primary and secondary syphilis cases increased almost 643 percent, from 2.1 to 15.6 cases per 100,000 people.

Without treatment, the infection can spread to the brain and nervous system and can cause blindness, hearing loss and serious birth defects in newborns.

In February, an increase in gonorrhea and chlamydia prompted a public health coalition to draft a more comprehensive plan to stem the tide. From 2014 to 2020, gonorrhea cases in Linn County increased more than five times, to nearly 600 cases.

“By joining forces and working together to lower the rates of congenital syphilis, we can achieve the best outcome that benefits mothers, babies and our entire community,” the Board of Health said in a statement.

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