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Argentina Reports Sharp 2025 Syphilis Surge as Early 2026 Counts Stay Elevated

Health authorities point to behavioral shifts, reinfections and expanded detection and call for wider screening and timely penicillin treatment.

Overview

  • The latest national bulletin shows 2025 syphilis totals of 46,613 confirmed cases (55,183 notifications), a rise of roughly 64–71% versus the 2020–2024 median.
  • Infections in pregnant people reached 11,261 confirmed in 2025, about 15% above the recent five‑year median, while 1,033 congenital confirmations were reported with explicit caution that these figures are provisional.
  • Initial 2026 surveillance remains high: week 1 recorded 1,092 confirmed cases and 1,247 notifications in the general population, exceeding the 2021–2025 median; 317 confirmations were logged in pregnant people.
  • Experts and the bulletin attribute the rise to reduced condom use, reinfections, changing sexual practices and risk perception, and broader reporting and testing that can elevate recorded counts.
  • Public‑health responses emphasize rapid and dual testing, strengthened prenatal screening and prevention messaging, with municipal programs such as Rosario’s expansion of on‑site rapid tests.