Syphilis: another reason why condoms are so important.
The microbe responsible for syphilis is Treponema pallidum, whose spiral-shaped bacteria are generally referred to as spirochetes. The microbe itself is quite delicate, meaning that it must be passed through direct body fluid contact with infected lesions. If a pregnant woman has untreated secondary or tertiary syphilis, her child may also develop congenital syphilis. If not stillborn or miscarried, the baby will play host to a wide array of symptoms and is at greatly increased risk of death.
Syphilis cannot be spread by touching infected surfaces or by sharing clothes, utensils or other personal items. Diagnosis of syphilis is done with a simple blood test or a microscope examination of a tissue sample scraped from a chancre.
Primary syphilis presents itself with a small sore, called a chancre, on the sex organs or the mouth. It is painless and disappears on its own in 3-12 weeks. There may also be some swelling of the lymph nodes near the affected area. If the chancre is in the mouth, the swollen lymph nodes in the neck may be mistaken for a throat infection. The chancre is often hard to find in the mouth, anus or vagina; however, gentlemen, it will become very obvious to you if your penis has had an encounter of the syphilitic kind, so be sure to tell your partner(s) as soon as possible.
A few months after infection, the disease reappears in the cooler parts of the body as secondary syphilis. Rough, red lesions appear on the hands and feet and may spread up the legs and torso. This stage of syphilis is known as the "great mimic" because the rash is often mistaken for that of ringworm, poison ivy or chicken pox. The rash is frequently accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue and other flu-like symptoms. This stage will also appear to go away on its own.
At either of these two stages, syphilis can be treated very easily with an intramuscular shot of penicillin. If the infection has been present for more than a year, more doses may be needed. Other antibiotics are substituted for patients who are allergic to penicillin.
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