Congenital syphilis on the rise locally and nationwide
According to the Shelby County Health Department Office of Epidemiology, congenital syphilis rates in the county more than doubled over the five-year period from 2017 to 2021. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)
For infants born with the infection, severe symptoms can include cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus, permanent hearing loss and musculoskeletal deformity.
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Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital Dr. Nick Hysmith Dr. Sara Cross Syphilis Shelby County Health Department Subscriber OnlyThank you for supporting local journalism.
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Aisling Mäki
Aisling Mäki has spent the better part of two decades writing about Memphis. A former digital journalist for WMC Action News 5 and staff reporter for Memphis Daily News, her work has also appeared in The Commercial Appeal, High Ground News, I Love Memphis, Inside Memphis Business, The Memphis Flyer, Memphis Parent, Memphis Magazine and Tri-State Defender.
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