Congenital syphilis
Health alert
Status: Active
Date issued: An ongoing Northern Territory (NT) syphilis outbreak was declared in 2013.
Issued to: Health professionals
Congenital syphilis occurs when a mother with syphilis passes the infection on to her baby during pregnancy or birth.
Current situation
A Northern Territory (NT) syphilis outbreak was declared in 2013.
In January 2017 all areas of the NT were declared part of a multi-jurisdictional outbreak.
A major concern of the outbreak is the risk of congenital syphilis. This occurs when an unborn baby acquires the syphilis infection before birth.
Read more about the NT Syphilis outbreak response.
Notifiable disease
Congenital syphilis is a notifiable disease.
Information for health professionals
| Type | Resource | Author |
|---|---|---|
| Webpage | Syphilis outbreak response | NT Health |
| Audio files | Syphilis audio fact sheets in language | NT Health |
| Document | Congenital syphilis guidelines for the Northern Territory. Assessment and management of syphilis in pregnancy and the neonatal period. | NT Health |
| Document | NT guidelines for the management of sexually transmitted infections in the primary health care setting | NT Health |
| Document | Syphilis (congenital) – Surveillance case definition | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care |
| Tropical Health Orientation Manual for health practitioners in Northern Australia | Congenital syphilis | Centre for Remote Health |
Information for the public
| Type | Resource | Author |
|---|---|---|
| Webpage | STIs and pregnancy | Health direct - Pregnancy, birth and baby |
| Webpage | Find a sexual health clinic | Northern Territory Government |
Contact
Contact the Public Health Unit’s Centre for Disease Control.
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