Five-Minute Finger-Prick Syphilis Test Aims to Protect Newborns from Congenital Infection

A one-year pilot study at Hamilton Health Sciences (搜索)搜索该词条 (HHS) is evaluating a rapid, five-minute finger-prick test for syphilis (搜索)搜索该疾病 and HIV (搜索)搜索该疾病, with the goal of preventing congenital syphilis (搜索)搜索该疾病 in newborns by enabling immediate, on-the-spot treatment for pregnant patients who test positive. Led by Dr. Laura Erdman, a pediatric infectious disease physician at HHS's McMaster Children's Hospital, and Dr. Suzanne Turner, a family physician at the Maternity Centre of Hamilton, the study targets pregnant people facing barriers to traditional prenatal care, including substance use, homelessness, and limited access to health care.

Congenital syphilis (搜索)搜索该疾病, which occurs when a baby acquires the syphilis (搜索)搜索该疾病 bacteria from their birthing parent during pregnancy or childbirth, had been nearly eradicated in Canada for decades. However, the infection has been making a dangerous comeback, and teams at McMaster Children's Hospital have been seeing babies born with syphilis that went undetected or untreated in pregnancy. "For newborns with syphilis, the consequences can be dire and include organ failure and even death," said Erdman. If untreated, affected children can later develop blindness, deafness, brain damage, and facial deformities, while untreated syphilis in pregnant people can cause miscarriages or stillbirths.

A Faster Alternative to Standard Screening

Syphilis (搜索)搜索该疾病 screening is routine in pregnancy because the sexually transmitted infection spreads silently and most people do not know they have it. When caught early and treated with an antibiotic查看药品详情, babies are born healthy. However, not everyone receives routine screening due to barriers to prenatal care.

The rapid test central to the study provides results in just five minutes, allowing a patient who tests positive to receive treatment immediately. This contrasts sharply with current standard practice, in which a blood sample is sent to a laboratory and results can take up to two weeks to return. "This quick, five-minute test removes barriers, because not everyone can be easily contacted about results or come back to a clinic for treatment," Erdman said. "The idea is to bring rapid syphilis (搜索)搜索该疾病 testing directly to the people who need it most, along with treatment. It's about meeting people where they're at."

The rapid test is available free to patients at Turner's clinic, where it is being studied, and through arts-focused drop-in workshops run by the YWCA Hamilton (搜索)搜索该词条 at several locations, including shelters for women and gender-diverse people. The workshops combine an arts project, snacks, syphilis (搜索)搜索该疾病 prevention information, and an opportunity to get tested.

Rising Rates and a Shifting Epidemic

Over the past decade, syphilis (搜索)搜索该疾病 rates in Hamilton have increased by more than 300%, according to Hamilton Public Health's 2024 Community Health Status Report. While syphilis mostly impacts males, local data show an increasing trend emerging among females. "Rising syphilis rates appear to be tied to the opioid epidemic and methamphetamine use," Erdman said, adding that the fastest rise in cases is among women of childbearing age, in their 20s and 30s. People who use drugs with a shared needle are at higher risk, but because of broad community spread, anyone who is sexually active could have syphilis. Public Health does not collect data on cases of syphilis in pregnancy, making it difficult to know the full scope of the problem, Erdman noted.

Early Findings and Feasibility

The pilot project launched in June 2025 with the goal of testing about 60 people in Turner's clinic. More than 40 have been tested so far, with no positive syphilis (搜索)搜索该疾病 results yet. "Finding no cases is good news," Erdman said. "But we also know that syphilis is in our community, and babies are being born with this dangerous infection, so having data about the feasibility of rapid syphilis testing in this context is very important."

So far, over 80% of pregnant people who are offered the rapid syphilis (搜索)搜索该疾病 test agree to take it. Researchers are gathering feedback from patients about their experience with the test and how it could be improved, while also asking clinicians at Turner's low-barrier clinic how they are managing to fit testing into their workload and whether they find it valuable.

Community-Centered Delivery

Steph Milliken, a McMaster University查看公司主页 PhD social work student, runs the drop-in workshops through the YWCA Hamilton (搜索)搜索该词条, focused on connecting people at risk of syphilis (搜索)搜索该疾病 in pregnancy with information and testing. "Our workshops have been well-received," Milliken said, adding that they have been offered at nine locations in Hamilton's core. Stacy Roulston, a doula who does outreach work with the YWCA Hamilton, helps run the workshops. "People have been very receptive, as well as very open-minded and willing to learn more," she said. "They asked a lot of questions too."

Community co-researchers with lived experience have been partners in developing and delivering the workshops, which Erdman said has been key to their success and impact. Other key partners include McMaster University查看公司主页, YWCA Hamilton (搜索)搜索该词条, De dwa da dehs nye>s Aboriginal Health Centre, and community members with lived experience. "It's a very collaborative project that tries to center community needs and voices," Erdman said.

Reverse Innovation and Future Funding

While the finger-prick test was recently approved by Health Canada, low- and middle-income countries have been using it for about 15 years to quickly diagnose and treat pregnant people in remote areas. In rural Africa, for example, a pregnant person may have to travel several hours to reach a health clinic, making a rapid test with on-the-spot results especially important. "The availability of this test in Canada is a great example of reverse innovation, where a high-income country can adopt a solution developed in low and middle-income countries out of necessity and limited resources," Erdman said.

The research project was made possible by a 2023 Canadian Institutes of Health Research operating grant, and a 2025 HHS Early Career Award is supporting the team to train other health-care professionals across the region and province in rapid syphilis (搜索)搜索该疾病 testing. Erdman's plans include advocating for ministry funding, since the test is not covered by OHIP and clinics currently need to pay about $30 per test. "That's not affordable for most clinics that provide low-barrier prenatal care," she said. "There's a strong plan to share what's learned, with the goal of improving how people access and receive care, and guiding future policy and practice."