In 2021, the State of Mississippi saw 106 cases of babies born with congenital syphilis, which was more than nine times the rate (11) of 2018. This also causes attention to rising cases throughout the nation, according to an analysis of hospital discharge data from Dr. Thomas Dobbs, a University of Mississippi Medical Center infectious disease physician, and state epidemiologists Dr. Paul Byers and Manuela Staneva. The analysis first gained attention when Dobbs, a former state health officer, posted the data to Twitter. The preliminary figures haven't yet been published by the Mississippi State Department of Health. The analysis calls for concern about lack of access to prenatal care and persistent disparities, according to experts, highlighting the need for better screening protocol. Mississippi is one of six states that does not require syphilis screening during pregnancy. (USA TODAY 02/14/23) Congenital syphilis cases surge among Mississippi babies (usatoday.com)
Editor's Note: The CDC website lists eight states that do not require pre-screening for syphilis during pregnancy: Mississippi, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, North Dakota, New Hampshire and Wisconsin.
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