RICHMOND, Va. (WAVY) – Cases of syphilis in Virginia have jumped to the highest levels in 30 years, according to a report.
The Virginia Department of Health says the state is specifically seeing a rise in congenital syphilis. VDH says cases in the first four months of 2023 were 22% higher than during the same time frame last year.
The health department also says that the number of syphilis cases with ocular, otic, or neurological manifestations has gone up 118% from 2022 compared to the first four months of 2023.
The FDA says there is a shortage of Penicillin G (Bicillin L-A) which is used to treat the disease. Bicillin L-A is the only CDCA-recommended treatment for some people with this disease, including pregnant people infected with or exposed to syphilis, and babies with congenital syphilis.
