Syphilis in Sub-Saharan Africa: Difference between revisions
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<br><b>Primary Stage</b> | <br><b>Primary Stage</b> | ||
<br>After infection and the roughly month-long incubation period, the first external signs of syphilis appear. The beginning of the so-called “primary stage” of the infection is marked by the appearance of a <i>chancre</i>, or occasionally multiple chancres. Chancres are small, round, firm, sores which are usually painless and can often either go unnoticed or are mistaken for something else. They always appear at the spot where the syphilis bacterium, treponema pallidum, entered the body. Because the chancre will heal without any treatment after three to six weeks, many people mistakenly believe that the problem is gone, and they do not need to seek treatment. However, if the chancre was allowed to heal naturally, the infection will progress into the secondary stage. | <br>After infection and the roughly month-long incubation period, the first external signs of syphilis appear. The beginning of the so-called “primary stage” of the infection is marked by the appearance of a <i>chancre</i>, or occasionally multiple chancres. Chancres are small, round, firm, sores which are usually painless and can often either go unnoticed or are mistaken for something else. They always appear at the spot where the syphilis bacterium, treponema pallidum, entered the body. Because the chancre will heal without any treatment after three to six weeks, many people mistakenly believe that the problem is gone, and they do not need to seek treatment. However, if the chancre was allowed to heal naturally, the infection will progress into the secondary stage. [4]. | ||
<br><b>Secondary Stage</b> | <br><b>Secondary Stage</b> | ||
<br>After the chancre heals, a rash will begin to develop on one or several areas of the body. This rash generally does not cause itching, and can often either appear to be a symptomof a great variety of other things, or be so faint that the infected person doesn't notice it. This, naturally, makes it difficult to diagnose correctly and contributes to the disease's nickname, the “great imitator”. However, the kind of rash most associated with syphilis is located on the palms of the hands and bottoms of the feet, and consists of characteristic rough, reddish brown spots.[1] | |||
<br> Although less common than the rash, other symptoms associated with the secondary stage of the infection include sore throat, headaches, weight loss, muscle aches, fever, and fatigue. Like the rash, these symptoms are certainly not unique to syphilis, and often do not aid in correct diagnosis of the disease. However, like the chancre, these symptoms will eventually disappear even without treatment, at which point the infection progresses to its final late – and occasionally latent – stage.[4] | |||
<br><b>Late and Latent Stags</b> | <br><b>Late and Latent Stags</b> | ||
Revision as of 02:52, 8 December 2009
Introduction
Caitlin Barker.
Infamous throughout history as one of the most unpleasant, harmful, and silent of sexually transmitted diseases, Syphilis remains a major health issue in the world's most neglected and troubled regions. Although now relatively rare in the United States, with approximately 36,000 cases reported a year and only around 30 fatalities, an estimated 492,000 infants in Sub-Saharan Africa die each year from congenital syphilis [2].
Syphilis presents a severe diagnostic challenge to health care workers around the world, due to the broad and inconclusive nature of its symptoms. Furthermore, this “great imitator” of a disease can also remain unnoticed in infected people for years, thus helping it spread from person to person through sexual contact. Because of this, effective and cheap syphilis screening is essential to its eradication.
Just as syphilis tends to be most prevalent in some of the world's poorest places, it is also strongly correlated with the HIV virus. We will examine the ways in which syphilis can act as a facilitator for the deadly AIDS-causing virus, and how health workers are attempting to address this issue. We will also look at congenital syphilis, and why it is that such an easily-preventable disease still kills thousands every year.
Treponema Pallidum and Transmission
Syphilis is caused by infection of a bacterium called treponema pallidum, a bacterium of the spirochete phylum. Like all spirochetes, it is corkscrew-shpaed and Gram-negative [4].After a person is infected with the bacterium through direct contact with a syphilis sore (which are often unrecognizable in certain stages), the incubation period for treponema pallidum can range from ten to ninety days, with an average of twenty-ones days before the first symptoms appear [1].
Transmission occurs primarily through sexual contact, and both oral, vaginal, and anal sex can result in transmission if a syphilis sore is allowed to come in contact with any mucosal membranes of the infected persons' partner. This means that even when condoms are properly used, syphilis can still be spread if the sore is located in an area not covered by the condom. Because sores can be located on the lips and mouth as well as the external genitals, vagina, anus, and rectum, there are many possibilities for transmission. [4].
In addition to physical contact during sexual activity, it is also possible for infected pregnant women to pass it on to the baby they are carrying. Known as congenital syphilis, this is the cause of thousands of infant deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa, and must be treated quickly and effectively if the baby is to be saved. Due to the high likelihood of transmission from mother to fetus (scientists currently estimate that it is between 60% and 80%), women should be tested for syphilis before they become pregnant. [1].
Stages, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Primary Stage
After infection and the roughly month-long incubation period, the first external signs of syphilis appear. The beginning of the so-called “primary stage” of the infection is marked by the appearance of a chancre, or occasionally multiple chancres. Chancres are small, round, firm, sores which are usually painless and can often either go unnoticed or are mistaken for something else. They always appear at the spot where the syphilis bacterium, treponema pallidum, entered the body. Because the chancre will heal without any treatment after three to six weeks, many people mistakenly believe that the problem is gone, and they do not need to seek treatment. However, if the chancre was allowed to heal naturally, the infection will progress into the secondary stage. [4].
Secondary Stage
After the chancre heals, a rash will begin to develop on one or several areas of the body. This rash generally does not cause itching, and can often either appear to be a symptomof a great variety of other things, or be so faint that the infected person doesn't notice it. This, naturally, makes it difficult to diagnose correctly and contributes to the disease's nickname, the “great imitator”. However, the kind of rash most associated with syphilis is located on the palms of the hands and bottoms of the feet, and consists of characteristic rough, reddish brown spots.[1]
Although less common than the rash, other symptoms associated with the secondary stage of the infection include sore throat, headaches, weight loss, muscle aches, fever, and fatigue. Like the rash, these symptoms are certainly not unique to syphilis, and often do not aid in correct diagnosis of the disease. However, like the chancre, these symptoms will eventually disappear even without treatment, at which point the infection progresses to its final late – and occasionally latent – stage.[4]
Late and Latent Stags
Syphilis and HIV
Congenital Syphilis
Current Issues
Conclusion
References
4."STD Facts - Syphilis." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC, n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2009.
Edited by student of Joan Slonczewski for BIOL 191 Microbiology, 2009, Kenyon College.
