Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40234761›Full record

ArticleBMC infectious diseases2025

Repercussions of the COVID- 19 pandemic on maternal and congenital syphilis in South Brazil: a time series analysis 2010-2022.

Fernando Echegaray, Christopher J Hernandez, Kavya G Sundar, Lanbo Z Yang, Mary Catherine Cambou, Eddy R Segura, Marineide Gonçalves de Melo, Breno Riegel Santos, Ivana Rosângela Dos Santos Varella, Karin Nielsen-Saines

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Spatiotemporal heterogeneity of gestational syphilis in the 1st Health Region of Pará in the Brazilian Amazon.Brazilian journal of medical and biological research = Revista brasileira de pesquisas medicas e biologicas · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Fernando EchegarayUCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA. fechegaray@mednet.ucla.edu.
Christopher J HernandezUCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Kavya G SundarDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
Lanbo Z YangDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Mary Catherine CambouDepartment of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Eddy R SeguraFacultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima, Peru.
Marineide Gonçalves de MeloDepartment of Infectious Disease, Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceição, Sistema Único de Saúde, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Breno Riegel SantosDepartment of Infectious Disease, Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceição, Sistema Único de Saúde, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Ivana Rosângela Dos Santos VarellaDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceição, Sistema Único de Saúde, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Karin Nielsen-SainesDepartment of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Funding

UCLA AIDS Prevention and Treatment Clinical Trials UnitUM1AI069424 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · PI Judith S. Currier, RAPHAEL J LANDOVITZ · 2012 to 2026
$51.8M
South American Program in HIV Prevention Research (SAPHIR)R25MH087222 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · PI JESSE LAWTON CLARK, Karin Nielsen · 2011 to 2026
$3.9M
SARS-CoV-2 in Pregnancy: Comparison of Natural Infection and Hybrid Immunity in Mother-Infant PairsK23AI177952 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · PI Mary Catherine Cambou · 2023 to 2026
$814k
NIAID NIH HHS K23 AI177952NIAID NIH HHS UM1 AI069424NIMH NIH HHS R25 MH087222
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe global increase in maternal and congenital syphilis cases over the past decade has been substantial. In south Brazil, preexisting maternal and congenital syphilis epidemics have been worsened since the onset of COVID- 19. We evaluated the impact of the COVID- 19 pandemic on the epidemiological trends of maternal and congenital syphilis in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

methodsWe conducted a retrospective review of hospital records from a large public hospital network, covering the full period of January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2022. Based on historical maternal syphilis and congenital syphilis cases from 2010 to 2019, a Holt-Winters seasonal forecasting model was used to predict maternal syphilis prevalence from 2020 to 2022. A subanalysis of total births, corresponding maternal syphilis prevalence, congenital syphilis cases and infant outcomes was performed for 2017 to 2022 to take a closer look at the years preceding and following the pandemic onset. The diagnoses of maternal and congenital syphilis were determined according to the Brazilian Ministry of Health guidelines.

resultsThe Holt-Winters model predicted relatively stable maternal syphilis prevalence from 2020 to 2022. In contrast, the observed prevalence at delivery was higher than predicted: in 2021 and 2022, forecasting predicted average yearly prevalences of 8.7% and 8.8%, while observed prevalences were 12.5.% and 10.3%. Total births throughout 2017-2022 remained stable with mild decline in the pandemic period. Total maternal syphilis prevalence did not change from 11.1% in 2019 to 2020. However, the percentage of patients diagnosed with syphilis at delivery increased from 14% in 2019 to 65% in 2020. A statistically significant increase in total maternal syphilis prevalence from 11.1% in 2020 to 14.8% in 2021, p ≤ 0.05 was noted. Congenital syphilis diagnoses decreased from 57 to 24% during the pre-pandemic period and increased to 27% in 2022. The incidence of fetal demise in syphilis-positive patients declined throughout the study period from 14% to 6.9% equating roughly 30 cases per year.

conclusionThe COVID- 19 pandemic was a significant setback in recent progress made toward the control of maternal and congenital syphilis in south Brazil. Public health strategies should prioritize reinstatement of interventions for prevention of gestational syphilis.

Indexed as

COVID-19Pregnancy Complications, InfectiousSyphilisSyphilis, CongenitalAdultBrazilFemaleHumansInfant, NewbornInfectious Disease Transmission, VerticalPregnancyPrevalenceRetrospective StudiesSARS-CoV-2Congenital syphilis in southern BrazilCongenital syphilis trendsCOVID- 19 pandemicGestational syphilisHolt-Winters time seriesSyphilis adverse birth outcomes

Identifiers

PMID40234761
PMCPMC12001653

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.