Syphilis

1. KM Syphilis

2. Definition • A sexually transmitted bacterial infection • An infectious disease • 4 stages of Syphilis- Primary, Secondary, Latent and Tertiary

3. History 1500’s • First epidemic of syphilis in Europe • It’s believed France was the starting point of the epidemic 1900’s • Found out it was transmitted through the placenta • 106, 000 cases caused the second epidemic in 1947 in the US

4. History continued... • In 1956 and 1957 the number of new cases dropped hitting a low of 3 per 100,000 • In the 1960’s another jump in the rate of syphilis hit but not enough to be an epidemic • In the 1970’s there was a large decline in the number of cases

5. SymptomsPrimary • Painless ulcers where the infection has entered the body (vulva, cervix, penis, anus and mouth) • 2-6 weeks to heal without treatment • If no treatment is given the symptoms will move on to the secondary stage

6. SymptomsSecondary • Begins 3-6 weeks after the ulcers appear • Flulike illness (i.e loss of appetite, fatigue, swollen glands) • Non-itchy rash covering body • Ulcers may still appear • White patches on tongue and roof of mouth • Patchy hair loss

7. SymptomsLatent/Tertiary • Latent has no symptoms like the first two stages. • If not treated will develop into Symptomatic late syphilis/Tertiary stage • Develops after about 10 years and can affect the heart and nervous system

8. Causes • Having sexual or oral intercourse • From a mother to her unborn baby • Caused by Treponemapallidum • You can NOT catch syphilis by sharing baths, toilets, towels or eating utensils.

9. Diagnosis • Take a blood sample and sending it to a STD testing lab • Specimen of fluid taken using a cotton swab • Genital examination to check for primary stage symptoms • Women can have internal examinations done to check for sores • Sample of urine

10. Treatment • Main therapy for syphilis is antibiotic treatment (penicillin) • Appropriate antibiotic treatment in the primary and secondary stages will completely cure the disease • In latent and tertiary stages treatment can stop further damage

11. Treatment continued... • If damage has already been done, can be treated but is usually impossible to repair fully

12. Future Outlook • Scientists and doctors are working to find an effective new way to curing syphilis • Better ways to diagnose • Better ways to define stages • Develop tests to detect infection in babies • Create a syphilis vaccine

13. Statistics • In 2008, 63% of the reported primary and secondary syphilis cases were among men who have sex with men • Women ages 20 – 24 were most prone to having the disease • Men ages 34-39 were most prone to having the disease

14. References • All Sands. (n.d.). The History Of Syphilis And Its Treatment. Retrieved May 11, 2011, from http://www.allsands.com/health/advice/syphilishisto_zkq_gn.htm • Treatments for Syphilis. (2006, September 10). Retrieved from About.com database http://menshealth.about.com/od/sexualdiseasesstds/a/syphilis_treat.htm • National Institutes of Health. (2010, August 1). Syphilis. Medicine plus. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/syphilis.html • Kennard, J. (2010, March 5). Signs and Symptoms of Syphilis. Retrieved from About database. http://menshealth.about.com/od/sexualdiseasesstds/a/syphilis_signs.htm • Primary syphilis. (n.d.). Retrieved from Skinsight database. http://www.skinsight.com/teen/primarySyphilis.htm • Syphilis. (n.d.). Syphilis: Symptoms, pictures and treatment. Retrieved 2011, from Avert website: http://www.avert.org/syphilis.htm • Syphilis. (n.d.). Retrieved 1996-2011, from Canada database. http://bodyandhealth.canada.com/channel_condition_info_details.asp?disease_id=208&channel_id=1020&relation_id=70907

15. References • Blood test. (n.d.). Retrieved from Health database. http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/01/29/arthritis.blood.test/index.html • Clinaero Inc. (n.d.). Syphilis research. Retrieved from eMedTV database. http://syphilis.emedtv.com/syphilis/syphilis-research-p2.html