Treponema Pallidum

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Etiology/Bacteriology

Taxonomy
Domain: Bacteria
Phylum: Spirochaetes
Order: Spirochaetales
Family: Spirochaetaceae
Genus: Treponema
Species: T. pallidum

Description

Treponema pallidum is a motile, spirochaete bacteria that has subspecies that can cause treponemal diseases such as syphilis, pinta, bejel, and yaws. Syphilis is caused by the subspecies T. pallidum pallidum, pinta is caused by T. pallidum carateum, bejel is caused by T. pallidum endemicum, and yaws is caused by T. pallidum pertenue. The four subspecies of T. pallidum are morphologically and serologically identical, however their course of action and transmission differs from one another. Even though T. pallidum can cause all four of these diseases, the most serious and concerning of these is syphilis. T. pallidum is a small bacterium that cannot be seen via Gram stain because it is too thin. However, it can be viewed by using dyes like Dieterle Stain (1). It can also be detected by serology tests. Syphilis is transmitted venereally while the other diseases are not. Because of the seriousness involved with syphilis, most of the research is on this disease and therefore the remainder of this page is based upon it as well.

History

The first treponemal diseases are theorized to have originated in East Africa. The disease migrated from Africa into Asia, Europe, and North America possibly due to the slave trade(3). However, it is important to remember that this is just a theory and there is no definitive answer for where or when Syphilis emerged. There are reported cases with syphilis-like symptoms that date back to the 13th-14th century A.D. in Europe(2).

Symptoms

References

(1)http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Treponema_pallidum.html
(2)http://www.news-medical.net/health/Syphilis-History.aspx
(3)http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/40/10/1454.full

References

[Sample reference] Takai, K., Sugai, A., Itoh, T., and Horikoshi, K. "Palaeococcus ferrophilus gen. nov., sp. nov., a barophilic, hyperthermophilic archaeon from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney". International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 2000. Volume 50. p. 489-500.

Created by Rachael Acosta, student of Tyrrell Conway at the University of Oklahoma.