The Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) has sent out an alert encouraging health care professionals to increase testing and treatment for congenital syphilis.

The number of syphilis cases in Indiana increased 2,300% from 2018 to 2023, and almost 9 in 10 cases of congenital syphilis may be prevented with timely testing and treatment during pregnancy, according to IDOH. More than half of syphilis cases were among mothers who tested positive during pregnancy but did not receive adequate or timely treatment, and nearly 40% of cases were among birthing mothers who were not receiving prenatal care.

“While prenatal care settings have traditionally been a major setting for diagnosing and treating syphilis among pregnant women, all health care providers play a critical role in screening reproductive age individuals,” State Health Commissioner Lindsay Weaver, MD, said in a letter.

IDOH has created a new digital Congenital and Adult Syphilis Toolkit with resources for clinicians and public health professionals. 

Read the alert here and Dr. Weaver’s letter here.