Sífilis Congênita no estado de Alagoas

Abstract

Syphilis is an infectious disease caused by the gram-negative bacterium, Treponema pallidum, being transmitted by sexual contact, blood transfusion and by vertical transmission. Vertical transmission results in congenital syphilis, in which an infected pregnant woman transmits the disease to her fetus, resulting in severe consequences for the fetus. Although there are great prevention strategies, congenital syphilis remains one of the leading causes of fetal and neonatal death worldwide, resulting in more than 200,000 stillbirths and neonatal deaths in 2016. In Brazil from 1998 to June 30, 2019, a total of 214,891 cases were reported. The Ministry of Health, aligned with the Pan American Health Organization, has as one of its priorities the eradication of congenital syphilis, through its prevention. Having access to quality monitoring during the prenatal period, and effective treatment of gestational syphilis are essential to predict transmission from mother to child. In order to diagnose, the gold standard method currently used is the combination of treponemal and non-treponemal tests, associated with complementary exams for the differential diagnosis. With regard to treatment, the drug used is penicillin, according to criteria established by the Ministry of Health, for the ideal use scheme. It was possible to observe that the numbers of reported cases of congenital syphilis remain high, and it is increasingly essential to address the issue, as well as the importance of prevention and treatment for control and later eradication of the disease.