Epidemiological profile of congenital syphilis in Espírito Santo state, Brazil, 2010-2019

Abstract

Introduction: Syphilis is an infectious disease that can lead to congenital syphilis in newborns when pregnant women are not treated, or improperly treated, throughout the prenatal period. Diagnosis and timely treatment are highly effective in reducing vertical transmission in approximately 97% of cases. Objective: Describing the epidemiological status of congenital syphilis in Espírito Santo State, from 2010 to 2019. Methods: Ecological study based on secondary data deriving from DATASUS database. Descriptive statistics, disease incidence calculation and mortality coefficients were performed. Results: Based on the spatial analysis of congenital syphilis, most counties are classified as having intermediate-to-high disease incidence. In total, 4,062 congenital syphilis cases were identified from 2010 to 2019. Of these, 19.7% were observed in mothers with incomplete elementary school, and 77.5% underwent prenatal care. Only 3.8% of them have properly followed the treatment. Moreover, 96.8% of babies with congenital syphilis were diagnosed in the first six days of life, whereas 92.4% of them were recently diagnosed with the disease. Mortality coefficient due to congenital syphilis presented increasing trend. Conclusion: Congenital syphilis is an essential indicator of prenatal care quality in primary care networks. Results have shown variation in the number of cases among pregnant women over the years, as well as persistent vertical transmission of the disease. This outcome has suggested difficulty in implementing public policies focused on controlling syphilis in the State.