title: Notification and management of congenital syphilis in the Northern Territory 2009 to 2014.
abstract: To determine whether cases of congenital syphilis in the Northern Territory between 2009 and 2014 were correctly notified based on probable or confirmed case criteria stipulated by the Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA).
  
  
  
  Pregnant women with positive syphilis serology defined as reactive treponemal test and rapid plasma reagin titre ≥1:8 were identified from the Northern Territory Syphilis Register Information System. Risk classification was performed based on local guidelines, and CDNA criteria for probable/confirmed cases of congenital syphilis were applied to determine whether cases were appropriately notified.
  
  
  
  Thirty-four cases of positive maternal syphilis serology in pregnancy were identified from 31 women; all were Indigenous. Twenty-one cases fulfilled criteria for probable congenital syphilis; 1 case was formally notified to the Centre for Disease Control. Twenty cases (95%) fulfilling CDNA criteria for probable congenital syphilis were not notified over the study period.
  
  
  
  Application of standard case definitions significantly increases the rate of congenital syphilis cases in the Northern Territory. Improved education regarding CDNA criteria for notification of congenital syphilis is necessary for clinicians and public health staff. Emerging evidence has supported the recent simplification of CDNA criteria for notification of congenital syphilis, effective 1 July 2015.
authors.affiliation: Senior Paediatric Registrar, Royal Darwin Hospital, Northern Territory.
authors.forename: Charlie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McLeod
authors.affiliation: Project Officer, Centre for Disease Control Darwin, Northern Territory.
authors.forename: Jiunn-Yih
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Consultant, Royal Darwin Hospital and Lecturer, Flinders University, Adelaide.
authors.forename: Joshua R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Francis
authors.affiliation: Public Health Nurse, Centre for Disease Control Alice Springs, Northern Territory.
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ishwar
authors.affiliation: Clinical Director of Sexual Health Services, John Hunter Hospital, Wallsend, New South Wales.
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ryder
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019468:Disease Management; D018563:Disease Notification; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015876:Northern Territory / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013590:Syphilis, Congenital / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D055815:Young Adult