Changes to the notification process for syphilis
A change in the notification process for syphilis will come into effect in January 2014. This will improve the quality of our information for action on early syphilis. From the first of January 2014, only cases of early (infectious) syphilis and re-infections are notifiable, and cases with no evidence of current infection are not to be notified. The new syphilis case definition has been included in the updated Case Definitions for Notifiable Diseases, 2012, Version 1.2 (page 85) and is available here and a copy of the new enhanced surveillance form is available here.
More information on the changes to syphilis surveillance will be in the January edition of Epi-Insight.