Alaska's worst-ever syphilis outbreak is now reaching newborns

Alaska is living through the worst syphilis outbreak in its history — cases have jumped roughly twentyfold since 2016 — and the most alarming part now shows up in newborns. In 2025, 14 Alaska babies were born with congenital syphilis, a record, and a disease that can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, or lifelong disability. A decade ago, the state saw fewer than one such case a year.

Overall, Alaska recorded 503 syphilis cases last year, the most in recent memory, concentrated in the Anchorage and Mat-Su area. Officials point to a sharp national rise and a troubling shift within it: much of the increase is among women of childbearing age, which is exactly how the infection reaches babies.

It isn't hitting everyone equally. Alaska Native people have seen among the steepest increases of any group in the country, with congenital cases climbing for years running. Health officials say housing instability and treatment that starts but isn't finished are among the biggest barriers to stopping it.

Congenital syphilis is preventable. A pregnant person who is tested and treated in time doesn't pass it to the baby — which is why the state urges testing early in pregnancy, again later, and at delivery.