Overview

• The number of infectious syphilis and gonorrhea cases have increased dramatically in Alberta since 2014.
• Gonorrhea cases have more than doubled since 2014: over 5,400 cases in 2023 as compared to 1,900 cases in 2014.
• Between 2015 and 2023, over 17,000 cases have been reported in adolescents and adults and more than 280 cases in babies. Cases continue to be reported in 2024.
• Between 2015 and March 2024, there have been over 340 cases of congenital syphilis, resulting in 60 still births.

Key Messages

Talk

Encourage discussion about STI/HIV screening with all sexually active persons during routine office visits and consider offering STI/HIV testing to all patients as routine care.

• How to discuss sexual health, substance use and STBBIs.

Test

Who should be tested?

• Interim STI Outbreak Screening Guidelines
• Refer to the AHS deskside reference Infectious Syphilis Management Tool

Resources

• Find an STI / Sexual Health Clinic
• Information on Syphilis Testing in Alberta
• Interpretation of Syphilis Serology
• ProvLab Syphils Testing Algorithm
• Public Health Notifiable Disease Management Guidelines: Syphilis

Treat

All cases of syphilis should be managed in consultation with STI Centralized Services.

• Provide treatment
  • Alberta Treatment Guidelines
• To access Bicillin® contact STI Centralized Services
  • Ordering & Storage of Penicillin G Benzathine (Bicillin L-A)
  • Penicillin G Benzathine (Bicillin L-A) Injections
• Report and discuss partner notification from the last 3 months
  • Notification of STI form - Please Note: To avoid errors, the following Government of Alberta forms must be downloaded to your computer and opened with Adobe Acrobat Reader instead of being viewed via the web browser. Right click on the URL and click "Save Link As" to save the file to your desktop.

Information for Albertans