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Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by Treponema pallidum which is a spiral shaped bacteria that
requires a warm moist environment to survive (eg: genitals or mouth).
It is spread through vaginal, anal and oral sexual contact. Syphilis can also be transmitted from a pregnant
woman to her fetus through the placenta, after the fourth month of pregnancy. However, if the
mother is treated with penicillin before the fourth month, the syphilis will not be transmitted
to the fetus.
The stages of Syphilis
The course of syphilis occurs through four discreet stages:
Primary stage - This is when a round painless ulcer (called a chancre) appears at the site of infection. Generally the chancre appears within 2 to 6 weeks after exposure although it could appear anytime within 10 days to 3 months after exposure.
Secondary stage - Untreated syphilis will develop into secondary syphilis in around 6 weeks, however the disease would still be present, meaning that an infected person could still infect a non infected one. The symptoms at this stage are normally a skin rash, brown sores, fever, sore throat, headache, swollen glands, hair loss and joint pain. Although the rash may cover the whole body or appear only in a few areas, it is usually on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
Latent stage - Left untreated, the secondary stage symptoms will disappear after six weeks. After two years, the
bacteria is no longer contagious can no longer be spread to sexual partners, however, a pregnant woman can still transmit the disease
to her fetus.
Tertiary stage - For 30-50 percent of those who reach the latency stage, a final tertiary stage follows. At this stage, the disease can potentially affect every organ in the body and can cause paralysis, blindness, insanity or even death.
In its primary stages, syphilis can be treated easily with penicillin, but the later stages may require more
intensive treatments, usually in the form of additional injections.
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