Congenital syphilis: epidemiological profile of Brazilian regions in the last decade

Congenital syphilis (CS) is transmitted to the fetus through the transplacental route at any stage of gestation when the pregnant women are either untreated or inadequately treated. In this study, we aimed to analyze trends in epidemiological indicators of CS in Brazil. This is a cross-sectional study utilizing data on CS across Brazilian regions from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2021. Epidemiological indicators such as incidence, prevalence, and case-fatality rates were calculated. During the evaluated period, 192 055 CS cases were recorded in Brazil. Among pregnant women who underwent prenatal care, 58.5% were diagnosed during pregnancy, 33.9% at the time of birth, and 7.5% after birth. In 77.5% of the notifications, the partners were not treated. The average number of cases diagnosed during prenatal care was 5.6 times higher than those not reported. The Southeast region presented the highest incidence rate per 1000 live births, whereas the Midwest region had the lowest incidence. Despite an increase in rates across all regions and Brazil overall, there was no significant difference (P-value > .05) between the means for the two evaluated periods. However, there was a significant decrease (P-value < .05) in the case-fatality rate in the Northeast (1.9%-1.25%) and South (2.15%-0.92%) regions, as well as throughout Brazil (from 1.77% to 1.24%). The findings indicate that the incidence rates of CS continue to rise, suggesting that the disease remains a significant public health issue in Brazil. Effective preventive measures are urgently required.