Syphilis
A sexually transmitted disease (STD) that causes a skin sore and rash and may be transmitted from an infected mother to her unborn child during delivery. Syphilis was first recorded as a major epidemic in Europe during the 15th century, after Columbus returned from his trip to America. Today the infection is transmitted almost exclusively by sexual contact. Between 1999 and 2000 the national rate of congenital syphilis decreased by 7.6 percent, from 14.5 to 13.4 cases per 100,000 live births.
Cause
Syphilis is caused by a spirochete that enters broken skin or mucous membranes during s3x, by kissing, or by intimate body contact with an open syphilitic sore. The rate of infection during a single contact with an infected person is about 30 percent.
Symptoms
During the first (primary) stage, a sore appears between three to four weeks after contact; the sore has a hard, wet, painless base that heals in about a month. In males, the sore appears on the shaft of the p3nis; in girls it can be found on the l@bia, although it is often hidden so well that the diagnosis is missed.
Six to 12 weeks after infection, the patient enters the secondary stage, which features a skin rash that may last for months. The rash has crops of pink or pale red round spots. The latent stage may last for a few years or until the end of a person’s life. During this time the person appears normal; about 30 percent of these patients will develop end-stage syphilis, which usually begins about 10 years after the initial infection. At this point a person’s tissues begin to deteriorate, involving the bones, palate, nasal septum, tongue, skin, or any organ of the body. The most serious complications in this stage include heart problems, brain damage leading to insanity, and paralysis.
Treatment
Penicillin is the drug of choice for all forms of the disease; early syphilis can often be cured by a single large injection. Later forms of the disease require multiple doses of penicillin over time.
Incidence
The 5,979 cases of syphilis reported in 2000 were the fewest cases ever reported in the United States, most of which occur in a few counties in the south. Indeed, half of all syphilis cases were reported from only 21 counties in the United States. Cook County, Illinois, has the most cases, followed by Marion County, Indiana, Wayne County, Michigan, and Shelby County, Tennessee. However, the highest rate per 100,000 was Robeson County, North Carolina, where 49 of every 100,000 people are infected with syphilis. Between 1999 and 2000 the national rate of congenital syphilis decreased by 7.6 percent, from 14.5 to 13.4 cases per 100,000 live births.
Although there are big differences in the reported rates among racial and ethnic groups, these differences have been declining over the past five years. For example, the syphilis rate reported for 2000 among African Americans was 21 times the rate reported among whites, reflecting a substantial decline from 1996, when the rate among African Americans was 50 times greater than that among whites.
Cause
Syphilis is caused by a spirochete that enters broken skin or mucous membranes during s3x, by kissing, or by intimate body contact with an open syphilitic sore. The rate of infection during a single contact with an infected person is about 30 percent.
Symptoms
During the first (primary) stage, a sore appears between three to four weeks after contact; the sore has a hard, wet, painless base that heals in about a month. In males, the sore appears on the shaft of the p3nis; in girls it can be found on the l@bia, although it is often hidden so well that the diagnosis is missed.
Six to 12 weeks after infection, the patient enters the secondary stage, which features a skin rash that may last for months. The rash has crops of pink or pale red round spots. The latent stage may last for a few years or until the end of a person’s life. During this time the person appears normal; about 30 percent of these patients will develop end-stage syphilis, which usually begins about 10 years after the initial infection. At this point a person’s tissues begin to deteriorate, involving the bones, palate, nasal septum, tongue, skin, or any organ of the body. The most serious complications in this stage include heart problems, brain damage leading to insanity, and paralysis.
Treatment
Penicillin is the drug of choice for all forms of the disease; early syphilis can often be cured by a single large injection. Later forms of the disease require multiple doses of penicillin over time.
Incidence
The 5,979 cases of syphilis reported in 2000 were the fewest cases ever reported in the United States, most of which occur in a few counties in the south. Indeed, half of all syphilis cases were reported from only 21 counties in the United States. Cook County, Illinois, has the most cases, followed by Marion County, Indiana, Wayne County, Michigan, and Shelby County, Tennessee. However, the highest rate per 100,000 was Robeson County, North Carolina, where 49 of every 100,000 people are infected with syphilis. Between 1999 and 2000 the national rate of congenital syphilis decreased by 7.6 percent, from 14.5 to 13.4 cases per 100,000 live births.
Although there are big differences in the reported rates among racial and ethnic groups, these differences have been declining over the past five years. For example, the syphilis rate reported for 2000 among African Americans was 21 times the rate reported among whites, reflecting a substantial decline from 1996, when the rate among African Americans was 50 times greater than that among whites.
Tags: major epidemic, Penicillin, sexually transmitted disease, skin sore and rash, spirochete that enters broken skin, STD, SYPHILIS
Posted in Health and Wellness
