An STD in babies has surged five-fold in the last decade – health experts want Biden to declare congenital syphilis a public health emergency

Health care advocates are calling on President Joe Biden to declare a public health emergency due to the increase in cases of congenital syphilis, a type of STD that occurs in babies.

bBetween 2017 and 2021, the most recent annual data available, cases of congenital syphilis (CS) nearly tripled from 941 to 2,855, according to tthe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

And the rate stands at 77 cases per 100,000 live births.

Congenital syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that occurs when an infected mother passes the STD to her baby during pregnancy.

The condition increases a baby’s risk for bone damage, anemia, jaundice, nerve damage and meningitis.

The disease kills about 40 percent of babies born with it, but treatment is possible with the drug Bicillin LA.

However, there is a nationwide shortage of the drug and the manufacturer, Pfizer, does not expect the shortage to be resolved before 2024, which is partly to blame for the boom in cases, which has dramatically increased demand.

In 2021, rates of CS were highest in Arizona, with a rate of 232.3 cases per 100,000 live births. The state was followed by New Mexico with 205.7 cases per 100,000 births and Louisiana came in third with 191.5 cases per 100,000.

Between 2017 and 2021, the most recent annual data available, cases of congenital syphilis (CS) nearly tripled from 941 to 2,855

Congenital syphilis cases were highest among the Black and African American community, increasing from 362 in 2017 to 885 in 2021

By declaring a public health emergency, the president could use the Defense Production Act to produce more bicillin.

Earlier this month, 38 public health organizations called on the White House Drug Shortage Task Force to investigate the shortage of the essential medication.

The Biden administration responded, saying it had already created a task force to tackle the STD surge and focus on restoring crucial pharmaceutical supply chains.

Experts warn that the outbreak of infections in the US is driven by riskier sexual behavior and less condom use. They also blame drug use during pregnancy, as the number of women using drugs during pregnancy is the highest since 2017 in some states.

Regional disparities have been observed across the country, with cases being higher in the border states, the Southwest and the Deep South, where access to health care is limited. However, states in New England have virtually eradicated the disease.

Researchers also blamed a lack of funding and education.

In 2021, rates of CS were highest in Arizona, with a rate of 232.3 cases per 100,000 live births.

The state was followed by New Mexico with 205.7 cases per 100,000 births and Louisiana came in third with 191.5 cases per 100,000.

In terms of highest number of total cases, Texas topped the list with 680 cases in 2021.

The state was followed by California with 518 cases and Arizona rounded out the top three with 181 cases.

The number of cases of congenital syphilis was highest among the Black and African American community, with cases increasing from 362 in 2017 to 885 in 2021.

The number of cases was second highest among white Americans, rising from 213 in 2017 to 782 in 2021.

A report earlier this year from the CDC found that Mississippi, the state with the highest overall STD rates in the US, is facing a particularly concerning situation, with cases of congenital syphilis increasing by more than 1,000 percent, from 10 in 2016 to 110 in 2022.

Although the overall number of congenital syphilis cases in the state appears low, the CDC is concerned about the rapid rise in cases.

One possible driving force behind the increase: Mississippi lacks adequate pre-pregnancy screening, which could prevent unnecessary illness and death.

The states with the lowest CS rates were Maine, New Hampshire and Wyoming – all reporting zero cases of the STD.

Nebraska reported only one case and had a rate of 4.1 cases per 100,000 live births.

The state of Maryland reported no data on congenital syphilis.

Overall, America is in the midst of an explosion of STDs, and every state has seen a spike in syphilis cases between 2017 and 2021. Between these years, the number of cases of the disease has increased by 70 percent.

A total of 2.5 million STDs were reported in the US in 2021, and the STD epidemic has resulted in a combined case rate of 763 cases per 100,000 people in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, an increase of six percent from the number of approximately 722 in 2020. .