Routine Screening in a California Jail: Effect of Local Policy on Identification of Syphilis in a High-Incidence Area, 2016-2017

OBJECTIVES California is experiencing a syphilis and congenital syphilis epidemic, and many persons diagnosed with syphilis report a history of recent incarceration or sexual contact with a person who has recently been incarcerated. Fresno County's local health department and jail collaborated to implement a routine syphilis screening policy for male adults aged 18-30 and female adults aged 18-35 booked into the facility. We evaluated syphilis screening, case finding, and treatment rates after implementation of the new policy. METHODS We linked jail census and laboratory data to syphilis surveillance data to assess screening coverage, positivity, and treatment rates for age-eligible persons who were booked into Fresno County Jail from April 1, 2016, through December 31, 2017. RESULTS Of 24 045 age-eligible persons who were booked into the jail during the study period, 5897 (24.5%) were female and 18 148 (75.5%) were male. Of 7144 (29.7%) persons who were screened for syphilis, 611 (8.6%) had a reactive rapid plasma reagin blood test result (16.4% [253 of 1546] of female adults; 6.4% [358 of 5598] of male adults) and 238 (3.3%) were newly diagnosed with syphilis, as confirmed by matching to the surveillance system (6.9% [106 of 1546] of female adults; 2.4% [132 of 5598] of male adults). Of persons identified with syphilis, 51.7% (n = 123 of 238) received adequate recommended treatment (59.4% [63 of 106] of female adults; 45.5% [60 of 132] of male adults). CONCLUSIONS The age-based syphilis screening policy adopted in this jail yielded high positivity, including newly identified syphilis infections among female adults of childbearing age. The targeted screening policy was formalized in the county-negotiated contract with the jail's private correctional health care company in 2018-a strategy that can be replicated.