Rate of Syphilis in Wisconsin 2.5 Times Higher Than in 2019
Decreasing from 2002 peak but still high, with a hike in babies born with syphilis.
Hospital waiting area. (Public Domain)
Rates of syphilis are bucking trends of other sexually transmitted infections in Wisconsin.
The number of babies born with syphilis — called congenital syphilis — in 2024 was nearly 15 times higher than 2019, according to new early data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. The number of babies born with syphilis jumped to 31 cases in 2024. While only two babies were born with syphilis in 2019, according to DHS data.
The overall rise in reported syphilis cases in adults in Wisconsin differs from that of other STIs. DHS data shows that the reported adult cases of gonorrhea and chlamydia in Wisconsin last year have decreased from the number of total cases in 2019.
New reports of syphilis cases in Wisconsin still comprise a small fraction of overall STI cases.
Craig Berger is the syphilis surveillance coordinator for the state health department. Berger shared with WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” new data that there were 1,419 cases of syphilis in 2024. Last year’s figure remains nearly two-and-a-half times the 585 cases reported in 2019.
In comparison, gonorrhea and chlamydia cases comprised 95 percent of reported bacterial STI cases in 2023, adding up to nearly 32,000 cases. There were 256 people newly diagnosed with HIV in 2023, according to another DHS report.
Berger told “Wisconsin Today” that the uptick in cases stems from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“A lot of our community partners — Vivent, Planned Parenthood, other community partners that do testing for STIs — were shut down [and] focused on other things during the COVID pandemic,” Berger said. “I think we fell behind, and we’re kind of playing catch up right now.”
Syphilis was almost effectively eradicated in the United States in the 1990s, as reported cases fell to just 6,993 nationwide in 1998, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2023, there were more than 209,000 cases of syphilis reported, according to CDC figures.
Dr. Allison Linton is an OB-GYN and an associate professor at Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin. She told “Wisconsin Today” there can be challenges in patients identifying that they have the initial symptoms of syphilis at all.
“A lot of times, the symptoms [of syphilis] will go away on their own. But those symptoms going away does not mean that the infection is still not present,” Linton said. “They can lead into this latent phase where the infection is still within their body. They can still transmit it to others, including during pregnancy, but they no longer are feeling the symptoms of it and might not realize that anything’s wrong.”
Congenital syphilis can lead to a plethora of problems. Linton said about 50 percent of pregnancies involving congenital syphilis can end in stillbirth — and babies born with the infection can face bone issues, blindness and rashes.
Though there were more than 30 congenital syphilis cases in Wisconsin last year, Berger said state health officials were able to intervene and stop 86 congenital syphilis cases from occurring.
Both Berger and Linton agree that patients face stigma around talking about and getting tested for sexually transmitted infections.
“This is not something that we talk about behind closed doors and in hushed tones,” Linton said. “This is healthcare. This is routine; taking care of your body and taking care of your community and your families, as well.”
Rate of syphilis in Wisconsin remains high as number of babies born with the STI spikes was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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