1887
Rapid communication Open Access
Like 0

Abstract

Four infants potentially exposed to syphilis infection in utero, meeting World Health Organization surveillance criteria of congenital syphilis (CS), were diagnosed in Croatia between September 2020 and January 2024. We conducted a retrospective analysis of epidemiological, clinical and laboratory data of these cases to assess compliance with surveillance case definitions. As only one confirmed CS case has been reported in Croatia in over 2 decades, these reports signal an increased risk of syphilis vertical transmission and warrant strengthening antenatal screening.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.36.2400517
2024-09-05
2024-10-06
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.36.2400517
Loading
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/eurosurveillance/29/36/eurosurv-29-36-2.html?itemId=/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.36.2400517&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. Stoltey JE, Cohen SE. Syphilis transmission: a review of the current evidence. Sex Health. 2015;12(2):103-9.  https://doi.org/10.1071/SH14174  PMID: 25702043 
  2. World Health Organization (WHO). Global guidance on criteria and processes for validation: Elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B. Geneva: WHO; 2021. Available from: https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/349550/9789240039360-eng.pdf?sequence=1
  3. Nemeth Blažić T. Epidemiologija spolno prenosivih infekcija u Hrvatskoj i svijetu. [Epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections in Croatia and the world.] 12. Croatian congress on urogenital and sexually transmitted infections with international participation. Zagreb: University Hospital for Infectious Diseases “Dr. Fran Mihaljević”; 2024. Croatian. Available from: https://www.croris.hr/crosbi/publikacija/prilog-skup/836816
  4. European Commission (EC). Commission implementing decision (EU) 2018/945 of 22 June 2018 on the communicable diseases and related special health issues to be covered by epidemiological surveillance as well as relevant case definitions. Official Journal of the European Union. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. 6.7. 2018:L 170/44. Available from: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32018D0945&from=EN#page=44
  5. Croatian Institute of Public Health (CIPH). Definicije zaraznih bolesti koje se obvezno prijavljuju [Surveillance case definitions of communicable diseases that must be reported]. Zagreb: Croatian Institute of Public Health; 2024. Croatian. Available from: https://www.hzjz.hr/sluzba-epidemiologija-zarazne-bolesti/definicije-zaraznih-bolesti-koje-se-obavezno-prijavljuju
  6. Croatian Institute of Public Health (CIPH). Hrvatski zdravstveno-statistički ljetopis za 2022. g. [Croatian Health Statistics Yearbook 2022]. Zagreb: CIPH; 2023. Croatian. Available from: https://www.hzjz.hr/hrvatski-zdravstveno-statisticki-ljetopis/hrvatski-zdravstveno-statisticki-ljetopis-za-2022-g
  7. Ministry of Health of the Republic of Croatia. Odluka o donošenju Plana i programa mjera zdravstvene zaštite 2023. – 2026. [Decision on Adopting the Health Protection Plan and Program 2023 – 2026]. Zagreb: Ministry of Health of the Republic of Croatia; 2023. Croatian. Available from: https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2023_10_127_1773.html
  8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Congenital syphilis. Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines. Atlanta: CDC; 2021. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment-guidelines/congenital-syphilis.htm
  9. Committee on Infectious Diseases. American Academy of Pediatrics. Syphilis. In: Kimberlin DW, Banerjee R, Barnett ED, Lynfield R, Sawyer MH. Red Book: 2024-2027: Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases. 33rd ed. American Academy of Pediatrics; 2024: 825-42.
  10. Fanella S, Bitnun A, Barton M, Sauve L; The Canadian Paediatric Society; Infectious Diseases and Immunization Committee. Diagnosis and management of congenital syphilis – Avoiding missed opportunities. Ottawa: The Canadian Paediatric Society; 2024. Available from: https://cps.ca/en/documents/position/congenital-syphilis
  11. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Antenatal screening for HIV, hepatitis B, syphilis and rubella susceptibility in the EU/EEA. Stockholm: ECDC; 2016. Available from: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/media/en/publications/Publications/antenatal-screening-HIV-hepatitis-B-syphilis-rubella-EU.pdf
  12. Macêdo VC, Lira PIC, Frias PG, Romaguera LMD, Caires SFF, Ximenes RAA. Risk factors for syphilis in women: case-control study. Rev Saude Publica. 2017;51:78.  https://doi.org/10.11606/s1518-8787.2017051007066  PMID: 28832758 
  13. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Congenital Syphilis – Annual Epidemiological Report for 2022. Stockholm: ECDC; 2024. Available from: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/congenital-syphilis-annual-epidemiological-report-2022_0.pdf
  14. Mitjà O, Padovese V, Folch C, Rossoni I, Marks M, Rodríguez I Arias MA, et al. Epidemiology and determinants of reemerging bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and emerging STIs in Europe. Lancet Reg Health Eur. 2023;34:100742.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2023.100742  PMID: 37927427 
  15. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). STI cases on the rise across Europe. Stockholm: ECDC; 2024. Available from: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/news-events/sti-cases-rise-across-europe
  16. Shah MS, Jain AP, Rathod AN, Jain HP, Sheth DN, Bhargava S. Congenital syphilis presenting as fulminant early-onset sepsis. Indian J Sex Transm Dis AIDS. 2022;43(2):196-7.  https://doi.org/10.4103/ijstd.ijstd_5_22  PMID: 36743093 
/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.36.2400517
Loading

Data & Media loading...

Submit comment
Close
Comment moderation successfully completed
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error