An outbreak of a treatable sexually transmitted disease has led to a dramatic rise in the deaths of unborn babies. or signup to continue reading Doctors fear more congenital syphilis fatalities are likely in Queensland, sparking calls for an increase in sexually transmitted infection screenings to bring it under control. Syphilis cases are spiking in Queensland and affecting unborn babies after an outbreak in the state's northwest, Brisbane's Mater Mothers' Hospital said.
Four babies died in 2023 from congenital syphilis, when an infant is infected with the disease in the womb by their mother. It was the highest annual congenital syphilis death toll recorded in the state this century. "It is likely we will see more deaths if something doesn't change," the hospital's obstetric medicine and infectious disease specialist Jill Parkes-Smith said.
"I have already seen more deaths from congenital syphilis than I ever expected to see when I became an infectious diseases physician." Three Queensland babies have already died from congenital syphilis in 2024, the state's latest health showed. Syphilis is spread via sexual contact and can be prevented by using contraception like condoms and dental dams.
The disease is detectable and treatable, however infectious syphilis cases have increased in the last two decades from 3.1 to 26.4 cases per 100,000 people annually.
Dr Parkes-Smith said increased screening was key to curbing the outbreak. The disease is detected through a blood test and .