The N.J. Department of Health issued an alert recommending special testing precautions in response to increasing cases of early syphilis and 13 reports of congenital syphilis cases in 2017.
DOH is asking physicians to consider this added testing in counties that exceeded 80 cases of early syphilis in 2017 – Bergen, Camden, Essex, Hudson, Passaic and Union. Specifically, the Department recommends offering syphilis testing to pregnant patients at:
- First prenatal visit
- Early in the third trimester of pregnancy (28-32 weeks gestation)
- Delivery of an infant
- Time of fetal death after 20 weeks gestation.
State law N.J.S.A.26:4-49.4 also requires a physician who treats a patient for conditions related to pregnancy to conduct syphilis testing at the first prenatal visit and at the time of delivery.
Additional information and provider resources are available from DOH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.