Board of Commissioners of Cook County - File #: 24-3172

• File #: 24-3172
• Version: 1
• Name: REQUESTING A REPORT FROM THE COOK COUNTY HEALTH AND HOSPITALS SYSTEM
• Type: Resolution
• Status: Held / Deferred in Committee
• File created: 5/13/2024
• In control: Health & Hospitals Committee
• On agenda: 5/16/2024
• Title: PROPOSED RESOLUTION REQUESTING A REPORT FROM THE COOK COUNTY HEALTH AND HOSPITALS SYSTEM AND THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH ON THE CURRENT SYPHILIS STATISTICS, TREATMENT, EDUCATION, AND EFFORT TO REDUCE THE CASES OF SYPHILIS AND CONGENITAL SYPHILIS IN COOK COUNTY WHEREAS, syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that can cause serious health problems without treatment. Syphilis infection develops in stages known as primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary, with each stage presenting different signs and symptoms; and WHEREAS, congenital syphilis (CS) is a disease that occurs when a mother with syphilis passes the infection on to her baby during pregnancy, affecting the baby depending on how long syphilis has gone untreated, causing among many other health impacts: miscarriage, stillbirth, prematurity, low birth weight, or even death shortly after birth; and WHEREAS, babies born with congenital syphilis can present deformed bones, severe anemia, enlarged liver and spleen,...
• Sponsors: MONICA GORDON, DENNIS DEER, TARA S. STAMPS, DONNA MILLER, BRIDGET DEGNEN, JOSINA MORITA, FRANK J. AGUILAR, ALMA E. ANAYA, SCOTT R. BRITTON, JOHN P. DALEY, BRIDGET GAINER, BILL LOWRY, SEAN M. MORRISON, ANTHONY J. QUEZADA, MAGGIE TREVOR

Date	Ver.	Action By	Motion	Result
5/16/2024	1	Board of Commissioners	refer	Pass

title
PROPOSED RESOLUTION

REQUESTING A REPORT FROM THE COOK COUNTY HEALTH AND HOSPITALS SYSTEM AND THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH ON THE CURRENT SYPHILIS STATISTICS, TREATMENT, EDUCATION, AND EFFORT TO REDUCE THE CASES OF SYPHILIS AND CONGENITAL SYPHILIS IN COOK COUNTY

WHEREAS, syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that can cause serious health problems without treatment. Syphilis infection develops in stages known as primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary, with each stage presenting different signs and symptoms; and

WHEREAS, congenital syphilis (CS) is a disease that occurs when a mother with syphilis passes the infection on to her baby during pregnancy, affecting the baby depending on how long syphilis has gone untreated, causing among many other health impacts: miscarriage, stillbirth, prematurity, low birth weight, or even death shortly after birth; and

WHEREAS, babies born with congenital syphilis can present deformed bones, severe anemia, enlarged liver and spleen, jaundice, brain and nerve problems, like blindness or deafness, meningitis, and skin rashes; and

WHEREAS, according to the Cook County Department of Public Health's 2020-2021 STI Surveillance Report, published last year, "amid increases across the U.S., the number of Primary and Secondary Syphilis (PSS) cases rose 66% from 167 in 2020 to 277 in 2021. The rates doubled in non-Hispanic-Black/African-American persons, doubled in non-Hispanic Whites, and increased by 52% in Hispanic/Latinx persons. PSS rates are highest in west suburbs and those municipalities in the south bordering the City of Chicago. PSS rates increased 53% in men (sex at birth) and tripled in women (sex at birth)." And

WHEREAS, the CCDPH also reports that congenital syphilis cases more than doubled between 2020 and 2021, an especially worrisome trend considering that "Syphilis can look like so many other conditions. Providers must know how to diagnose, stage and treat syphilis. Writing a prescription is not ...