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Syphilis
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Syphilis testing is essential in order to ensure that proper treatment for the disease is taken. Diagnosis is typically based on a blood test, which looks for the presence of syphilis antibodies in the blood. Occasionally, health care provider examine samples of the initial syphilis chancres using a dark-field microscope. This type of microscope is specifically designed to highlight the syphilis bacteria. All pregnant women are encouraged to be tested for syphilis early in pregnancy.
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Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by a bacterium called Treponema pallidum. The Centers for Disease Control reported in November 2002 that the number of cases rose from 5,979 in 2000 to 6,103 in 2001, the first increase since 1990. Those with syphilis are at a higher risk of transmitting and acquiring HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
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Syphilis has three stages and there are different symptoms that are associated with each stage. The stages may overlap with one another and an infected person may not always experience the symptoms in the same sequence. It is important to note that like other STIs, it is common that a person infected with syphilis will not show any symptoms. If you think you are infected, avoid any sexual contact and visit a local STI clinic or your medical provider immediately.
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Syphilis rates tend to go up and down. In the United States, new cases of syphilis are now at their lowest rate in 40 years. In 1996, no new cases were reported in more than 70% of U.S. counties. The cases that do occur are concentrated in a few places -- Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Richmond, and several other cities and counties, especially in the South. More cases likely occur each year than are reported to health officials.
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Syphilis infects the ascending aorta causing dilation and aortic regurgitation. This can be heard with a stethoscope as a heart murmur. The course can be insidious, and heart failure may be the presenting sign after years of disease. The infection can ... occur in the coronary arteries and cause narrowing of the vessels. Syphilitic aortitis can cause de Musset's sign,[19] a bobbing of the head that de Musset first noted in Parisian prostitutes.
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Syphilis is caused by a bacteria called Treponema pallidum. It is mostly spread by sexual contact, but it can even be spread through kissing, touching, or through blood transfusion. It is ... spread from mother to baby across the placenta. Infection occurs when one comes in contact with a syphilis lesion on an infected partner. It is most easily spread to mucous membranes or soft genital skin, but can initially infect any area of skin that comes in contact within a lesion (such as a finger). Transmission by blood transfusion used to be common, but because of testing and refrigeration of blood samples this is extremely rare.
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Syphilis