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Austin-Travis County Public Health expands follow-up program; reports decrease in congenital syphilis cases
Summary
Austin Public Health's Public Health Follow-up Program described targeted work to prevent congenital syphilis, including enhanced monitoring of pregnant people, a retrospective outreach initiative and field-based treatment; presenters reported a 7% decrease in congenital syphilis cases and other program outcomes for Feb. 2024'Jan. 2025.
Madeline Flanagan, program manager for the Public Health Follow-up Program in Austin Public Health's communicable-disease unit, told the Austin-Travis County Public Health Commission that targeted initiatives conducted from February 2024 through January 2025 reduced congenital syphilis cases and expanded treatment options for people of childbearing capacity.
Flanagan described disease intervention specialists (DIS) as "frontline public health detectives" who locate infections, perform partner services and connect people to testing and treatment. She said the program investigated 1,600 new syphilis and HIV cases in the prior year and pursued more than 1,100 people for syphilis-related partner services.
Flanagan said Austin-Travis County instituted two primary changes to address congenital syphilis: (1) closer, continuous monitoring of pregnant people with positive syphilis labs throughout pregnancy (rather than ending follow-up after initial treatment or inability to locate), and (2) a retrospective outreach initiative that…
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