Reports Show Congenital Syphilis Spikes 2,345% in Ontario and 599% in Canada
Rates of syphilis during pregnancy have risen a whopping 2,345 percent in Ontario in just four years, according to recently released government data.
Twenty-seven cases of early congenital syphilis were recorded in the province in 2022—up from five in 2020, according to a PHO report. Between 2014 and 2019, there were only one or two cases each year, with no cases at all in 2013.
“All of a sudden, it was all over the place,” Dr. Bitnun said. “We’re getting calls all the time from pediatricians about a baby born to a mom who didn’t get treated properly.”
Congenital Syphilis in the Prairies
Alberta Health Services says the rise of congenital syphilis in the province has resulted in more than 290 infants being born with the disease since 2014. Alberta’s health agency described the illness in a post on its website as “life threatening,” with up to 20 percent of infected babies being stillborn.
Congenital syphilis stems from untreated syphilis, a sexually transmitted infection that can cause serious health problems but can typically be cured with antibiotics.
Untreated syphilis during pregnancy can lead to a number of complications for babies such as skin rashes, jaundice, meningitis, cerebral palsy, enlarged liver and spleen, severe anemia, fluid in the brain, bone and joint deformity, and brain and nerve problems such as blindness or deafness, Health Canada said. It can also cause miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant death.
Infectious Syphilis on the Rise
Infectious syphilis is also becoming more common, according to Health Canada. There were 13,953 cases in Canada in 2022, with a rate of 36.1 per 100,000 population.
The 2022 national rate of infectious syphilis was 11 percent higher than in 2021 and 109 percent higher than in 2018.
The growing numbers prompted Alberta to declare a syphilis outbreak in 2019 with 2,331 cases reported that year.
Public Health Ontario’s report shows infectious syphilis has been on the rise since 2013 but reached its highest level in 2022—23.6 cases per 100,000. Thunder Bay and the Kingston area have been hardest hit with incidence rates increasing by more than 250 percent between 2020 and 2022.
Syphilis Hot Spots
While Ontario and Alberta had the highest number of syphilis cases between 2018 and 2022, Yukon and Saskatchewan had the largest increases at 2,344 percent and 1,444 percent respectively.
Yukon’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Sudit Ranade called the rise in cases “concerning.”
Saskatchewan said syphilis case rates in the province have been steadily growing since 2017 with a marked increase observed in 2019.
Manitoba, which had 1,912 cases between 2018 and 2022, saw its capital city become an epicenter for the disease.
What Is Syphilis?
Symptoms of syphilis can be “subtle and easily missed,” Health Canada says. “The infection has four stages, each with different signs and symptoms. It can often look like other infections, earning it the nickname ‘the great imitator’.”
Headaches, vertigo, vision changes, coordination or balance issues, hearing loss or ringing in the ears, and dementia can occur at any stage of the disease, according to Health Canada. Primary symptoms may include swollen glands in the groin or neck, or a sore that’s firm, round, and painless on the lips, in the mouth or throat, or in the genital or anal area.
Common symptoms two to 12 weeks after exposure include fever, headache, hair loss, swollen glands in the groin or neck, wart-like sores, and a rash that commonly appears on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
“Untreated syphilis will then progress to a latent stage,” Health Canada says. “During this stage, you may not notice symptoms for up to 20 years.”
Late-stage or tertiary syphilis can impact the brain, heart, blood vessels, and nervous system and can eventually be fatal.