Congenital syphilis - Annual Epidemiological Report for 2024

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Congenital syphilis. In: ECDC. Annual epidemiological report for 2024. Stockholm: ECDC; 2026.

Surveillance and monitoring
  • Publication series: Annual Epidemiological Report
  • Time period covered: This report is based on data for 2024 retrieved from EpiPulse Cases on 7 April 2026.
In 2024, 140 confirmed congenital syphilis cases were reported from 14 EU/EEA countries, while 14 other countries reported no cases. This is an increase from 2023, when 78 cases were reported by 12 out of 26 countries contributing data. Three countries, Bulgaria, Hungary and Portugal, reported 62% of cases in 2024 and 53% of cases in 2023.

Key facts

  • The number of cases reported in 2024 represents the highest number of congenital syphilis notifications since 2009, when ECDC assumed coordination of congenital syphilis surveillance in the EU/EEA and represents nearly a doubling of the number of cases reported in 2023.
  • Increases in congenital syphilis were paralleled by increases in the notification rates of syphilis among women in several EU/EEA countries.
  • In 2024, 16 EU/EEA countries that provided data on congenital syphilis had national rates at or below the WHO European Region 2030 elimination target of ≤1 case per 100 000 live births, of which 14 reported zero cases.
  • In countries reporting increases in congenital syphilis rates it is important to strengthen the prevention of syphilis among heterosexual populations, have effective antenatal screening programmes, and consider universal third‑trimester retesting of pregnant women. Enhanced surveillance, including linking maternal syphilis infections with birth outcomes, is essential to identify prevention gaps and guide targeted interventions.
Publication file

Congenital syphilis Annual Epidemiological Report for 2024

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