Syphilis

Statutory notification

• Syphilis (all stages and congenital) is a notifiable infectious disease in Western Australia.
• Case definition: See Syphilis (less than 2 years duration) (external site), Syphilis (more than 2 years or unknown duration) (external site) and Syphilis (congenital) (external site) national surveillance case definitions.
• Notification: Notify using the communicable disease notification form for metropolitan residents (PDF 214KB) or regional residents (PDF 213KB). For notification of regional residents see contact details of public health units.
• See also description of statutory medical notifications in Western Australia.

Public health summary

• Infectious agent: Treponema pallidumbacteria.
• Transmission: Syphilis is passed on by unprotected vaginal, oral or anal sex with an infected person. It can also be spread through intimate or skin to skin contact with an infected person. An infected mother can pass syphilis on to her baby via the placenta during pregnancy.
• Incubation period: From 9 days to 3 months from exposure to primary syphilis.
• Infectious period: Infected persons are presumed to be infectious. Without treatment, infection can persist for years.
• Case exclusion: Do not exclude.
• Contact exclusion: Do not exclude.
• Treatment: Antibiotic treatment as recommended by the Guidelines for Managing Sexually Transmitted Infections – WA
• Immunisation: None available.
• Case follow-up: Is the responsibility of health care providers.

Guidelines for public health units

• WA STI/BBV management guidelines (Silver book) – Syphilis
• Syphilis – CDNA National Guidelines for Public Health Units
• Other WA and National policies and guidelines

Notifiable disease data and reports

• Notifiable infectious disease dashboard
• General infectious disease reports