Congenital syphilis - Annual Epidemiological Report for 2021

In 2021, 9 of the 23 EU/EEA countries who contributed data reported 47 confirmed congenital syphilis cases. Fourteen countries reported zero cases. For 2020, 10 of the 25 countries that contributed data reported 49 cases.

Following a peak in congenital syphilis notifications in 2019, the overall number of cases reported in 2021 and 2020 decreased. National notification rates remained low in most EU/EEA countries that provided data from 2012 to 2021. Six countries reported zero vertical transmission events during the entire 10-year period.

Better indicator data are needed to ascertain the factors associated with congenital syphilis prevention failures, particularly in EU/EEA countries that report higher numbers of cases. This is necessary to achieve the revised 2030 targets for congenital syphilis elimination in the WHO European Region.

This report may include some underreporting. Seven countries for 2021 and five for 2020 did not contribute to the reporting of congenital syphilis, and one of the countries that reported has a sentinel surveillance system.