Syphilis - Continued

Most states require prenatal screening in the first trimester but not in the third trimester; thus, infections acquired later in pregnancy may not be detected and may cause infections in infants. States, such as Texas and Florida, where the incidence of CS is high, have established serologic screening of all cord bloods. These states have increased their chances of detecting and reporting asymptomatic cases in newborns. In states where newborns are not screened, cases of CS are not recognized until the signs become fully manifested.

Increasing the availability of prenatal care-including (1) serologic screening in the first trimester; (2) appropriate third-trimester serologic evaluation of groups at high risk (7); and (3) prompt treatment and adequate follow-up of maternal cases identified-as well as reducing the incidence of infectious syphilis among women of childbearing age may eventually prevent more cases of congenital syphilis.

References

1. Fichtner RR, Aral SO, Blount JH, Zaidi AA, Reynolds GH, Darrow WW. Syphilis in the United States: 1967-1979. Sex Transm Dis 1983;10:77-80.

2. Brown WJ, Donohue JF, Axnick NW, Blount JH, Ewen NH, Jones OG. Venereal disease casefinding and control measures in the twentieth century. In: Syphilis and other venereal diseases. Vital and Health Statistics Monographs. American Public Health Association. Cambridge: Harvard University Press 1970:36-57.

(Continued on page 441)

TABLE 1. Summary-cases specified notifiable diseases, United States

"One of the 32 reported cases for this week was imported from a foreign country or can be directly traceable to a known internationally imorted case within two generations.

Typhus fever, flea-borne (endemic, murine)

TABLE III. Cases of specified notifiable diseases, United States, weeks ending
July 28, 1984 and July 30, 1983 (30th Week)

TABLE III. (Cont'd.) Cases of specified notifiable diseases, United States, weeks ending
July 28, 1984 and July 30, 1983 (30th Week)

TABLE III. (Cont'd.) Cases of specified notifiable diseases, United States, weeks ending
July 28, 1984 and July 30, 1983 (30th Week)

⚫ Mortality data in this table are voluntarily reported from 121 cities in the United States, most of which have populations of 100,000 or more A death is reported by the place of its occurrence and by the week that the death certificate was filed. Fetal deaths are not included

"Pneumonia and influenza

+ Because of changes in reporting methods in these 4 Pennsylvania cities, these numbers are partial counts for the current week Complete counts will be available in 4 to 6 weeks.

Total includes unknown ages.

a not available. Figures are estimates based on average of past 4 weeks.