Onondaga County warns of rising syphilis cases, urges testing

Syphilis has climbed to a level in Onondaga County that now demands immediate action from sexually active adults and pregnant patients alike. County health officials say cases rose from 9 in 2005 to 301 in 2025, and seven babies were born with syphilis in the county, showing how far the infection has spread beyond its usual adult patient base.

The Onondaga County Health Department warned in a May 1, 2025 alert that it was seeing a potential increase in ocular syphilis cases, while also stressing that syphilis can affect babies, teens and adults of any age. The department urged regular STI testing, safer sex practices and prompt partner notification, saying sexual partners of diagnosed patients should get tested and treated quickly.

For residents who need care fast, the county points to its Sexual Wellness Center at the John Mulroy Civic Center in Syracuse, where testing and treatment are available at low cost or no cost. Health Commissioner Dr. Indu Gupta has said syphilis is curable with antibiotics if it is detected early, making fast screening and treatment especially important when symptoms are missed or do not appear right away.

The most serious concern is the growing toll on pregnancies. New York State health officials said rising syphilis diagnoses in pregnant people have driven a surge in congenital syphilis outside New York City, where cases increased from 9 in 2019 to 33 in 2023. Preliminary 2024 data showed 26 congenital syphilis diagnoses by October, and state officials reported five infant deaths presumptively linked to syphilis during pregnancy between January and October 2024.

A Nov. 6, 2024 state advisory said problems with prenatal care access and untimely testing were key contributors to those cases. In April 2025, New York announced a first-in-the-nation Congenital Syphilis Elimination Framework and a new STI Data Dashboard, part of a broader push to track infections and prevent more babies from being born with a disease that is both treatable and preventable.

The warning signs have been building for years in Onondaga County. Health officials reported 28 syphilis cases in the first three months of 2021, then 95 cases by Sept. 28, 2021, more than triple the total for all of 2020. The latest numbers show the outbreak has only worsened, and county officials are urging residents not to wait for symptoms before getting tested.