Treponema Pallidum
Treponema Pallidum Causes
Treponema pallidum may be spread through sexual intercourse or transmitted from an infected pregnant mother to her fetus. In humans, Treponema pallidum is the primary cause of a highly infectious disease called syphilis.
Treponema Pallidum Definition
Treponema pallidum is a subspecies of the bacteria-like spirochete pallidum, which causes a highly contagious disease known as syphilis.
Treponema Pallidum Diagnosis
Treponema pallidum infections may be diagnosed by analyzing swabs of chancre in primary and secondary syphilis. Other diagnostic procedures include: syphilis blood tests, VDRL test, syphilis antibody test, lumbar puncture test, and CSF syphilis test, among others.
Treponema Pallidum Symptoms and Signs
Treponema pallidum, when transmitted to humans, initially causes primary syphilis symptoms. If the disease progresses, it may cause secondary, tertiary, or late syphilis symptoms. Primary syphilis symptoms include: painless open genital sores (or chancre); penis or vaginal ulcer; hand or mouth ulcer; anal ulcer; plus enlarged lymph nodes in the groin or throughout the body that may never return to normal. Approximately thirty percent of patients will develop secondary syphilis symptoms, which may include: the appearance of skin rashes and brown sores; formation of wart-like lumps in the genitalia; mild fever and other flu-like symptoms; headaches and fatigue; appetite loss; muscle aches; patchy hair loss; enlarged or swollen lymph glands; possible reappearance of chancre; plus mouth and genital ulcers. If the disease has advanced to tertiary syphilis, possible outcome includes the development of multiple non-malignant tumors, particularly in the skin, muscle, bone, brain, heart, liver, or stomach. Late syphilis symptoms manifest if the disease has progressed severely. Examples of such symptoms are: mental illness, blindness, neurologic problems, heart diseases, neurosyphilis, and even death.
Treponema Pallidum Treatment
Treponema pallidum may be treated with penicillin and other antibiotics. In the course of treatment, constant blood tests are necessary to ensure that the infection has been cured.