2022 U.S. Syphilis Cases Reach Highest Numbers Since the 1950s

For immediate release: Tuesday, January 30, 2024
Contact: CDC Media Relations
(404) 639-3286  | Media@cdc.gov

Reported syphilis cases increased 80% in the United States between 2018 and 2022, (from 115,000 to more than 207,000), compounding a decades-long upward trend. If untreated, syphilis can seriously damage the heart and brain and can cause blindness, deafness, and paralysis. When transmitted during pregnancy, it can cause miscarriage, lifelong medical issues, and infant death. Read more about the report and federal response to stop the surging syphilis epidemic.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

CDC works 24/7 protecting America’s health, safety, and security. Whether disease start at home or abroad, are curable or preventable, chronic or acute, or from human activity or deliberate attack, CDC responds to America’s most pressing health threats. CDC is headquartered in Atlanta and has experts located throughout the United States and the world.