What is Syphilis?
Syphilis is a complex sexually transmitted, infectious disease (STD) caused by the bacterium Treponema Pallidum. Syphilis is usually transmitted by sexual contact or kissing. Infection from contaminated objects rarely occurs because drying quickly kills the bacterium.

A fetus carried by a woman with syphilis may contact the disease. When a fetus has syphilis, the condition is called congenital syphilis. Syphilis has often been called the great imitator because so many of the signs and symptoms are indistinguishable from those of other diseases.

How is Syphilis spread?
The syphilis bacterium is passed from person to person through direct contact with a syphilis sore. Sores mainly occur on the external genitals, vagina, anus, or in the rectum. Syphilis sores also can occur on the lips and in the mouth. Transmission of the organism occurs during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Pregnant women with syphilis can pass it to the babies they are carrying. Syphilis cannot be spread by toilet seats, door knobs, swimming pools, hot tubs, bath tubs, shared clothing, or eating utensils.

What are the symptoms of Syphilis?
The time between picking up the bacterium and the start of the first symptom can range from 10-90 days. The average is 21 days. The primary stage of syphilis is characterized by the appearance of a single sore (called a chancre). The chancre is usually firm, round, small, and painless. It appears at the spot where the bacterium entered the body. The chancre lasts 1-5 weeks and will heal on its own. If treatment is not administered, the infection progresses to the secondary stage.

The second stage starts when one or more areas of the skin break into a rash that usually does not itch. Rashes can appear as the chancre is fading or can be delayed for weeks. The rash often appears as rough, "copper penny" spots on both the palms of the hands and the bottoms of the feet. The rash also may appear as a prickly heat rash, as small blotches or scales all over the body, as a bad case of old acne, as moist warts in the groin area, as slimy white patches in the mouth, as sunken dark circles the size of a nickel or dime, or as pus-filled bumps like chicken pox. Some of these signs on the skin look like symptoms of other diseases. Sometimes the rashes are so faint they are not noticed. Rashes typically last 2-6 weeks and clear up on their own. In addition to rashes, second stage symptoms may include fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, patchy hair loss, headaches, weight loss, muscle aches, and tiredness. A person infected with syphilis can easily pass the disease to sex partners when first or second stage signs or symptoms are present.

The latent (hidden) stage of syphilis begins when the secondary symptoms disappear. If the infected person has not received treatment, he/she still has syphilis even though there are no signs or symptoms. The bacterium remains in the body and begins to damage the internal organs, including the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones, and joints. In about one-third of untreated persons, this internal damage shows up many years later in the late or tertiary stage of syphilis. Late stage signs and symptoms include not being able to coordinate muscle movements, paralysis, no longer feeling pain, gradual blindness, dementia (madness) or other personality changes, impotency, shooting pains, blockage or ballooning of the heart vessels, tumors or "gummas" on the skin, bones, liver, or other organs, severe pain in the belly, repeated vomiting, damage to knee joints, and deep sores on the soles of the feet or toes. This damage may be serious enough to cause death.

Can a newborn get Syphilis?
Yes. An infected pregnant woman has about a 40% chance of having a stillbirth (syphilitic stillbirth) or giving birth to a baby who dies shortly after birth. A baby born to a mother with either untreated syphilis or syphilis treated after the 34th week of pregnancy has a 40% - 70% chance of being infected with syphilis (congenital syphilis). An infected baby may be born without symptoms but may develop them within a few weeks, if not treated immediately. These signs and symptoms can be very serious and include skin sores, a very runny nose, which is sometimes bloody (and infectious), slimy patches in the mouth, inflamed arm and leg bones, a swollen liver, anemia, jaundice, or a small head. Untreated babies may become retarded or may have seizures. About 12% of newborns wit syphilis will die from it.

How is Syphilis diagnosed?
The syphilis bacterium can be detected by a doctor who examines material from infectious sores under a microscope. Shortly after infection occurs, the body produces syphilis antibodies that are detected with a blood test. A syphilis blood test is accurate, safe, and inexpensive. A low level of antibodies will stay in the blood for months or years after the disease has been successfully treated, and antibodies can be found by subsequent blood tests. Because untreated syphilis in a pregnant woman can infect and possibly kill her developing baby, every pregnant woman should have a blood test for syphilis.

Is there a cure for Syphilis?
Yes. One dose of the antibiotic penicillin will cure a person who has had syphilis for less than a year. However, penicillin will not cure damage that has occurred before treatment. More doses are needed to cure someone who has had it for longer than a year. A baby born with syphilis needs daily penicillin treatment for 10 days. There are no home remedies or over-the-counter drugs that cure syphilis.

Can Syphilis be treated?
Syphilis usually is treated with penicillin, administered by injection.

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