Syphilis:

Syphilis:


known as:
Venereal disease research laboratory; VDRL
The test is looking for presence of Treponema pallidum, the bacterium
that causes syphilis. Syphilis is an infectious disease that is most
often spread by sexual contact, such as through direct contact with a
syphilis sore (chancre).

It is easily treated but can cause severe health problems if left
untreated. An infected mother can also pass the disease to her fetus,
with serious and potentially fatal consequences for the baby

symptomes

There are several stages with syphilis. The primary stage begins about
2-3 weeks after being infected. One or more sores, called chancres
appear, usually on the part of the body exposed to your partner's
chancre, such as the penis or vagina. However, the chancre is usually
painless and may go unnoticed, especially if it is in the rectum or on
the cervix, and disappears within 4-6 weeks.

Secondary syphilis begins 2-8 weeks after the chancre first appears. It
is marked by a skin rash that often is rough, red, and spotted,
appearing frequently on the palms of the hands and the bottoms of the
feet. There may be other symptoms as well, such as fever, fatigue,
swollen lymph glands, sore throat, and body aches. If untreated,
syphilis may continue into a latent stage, during which an infected
person has no symptoms but continues to have the infection, and this
stage can last for years. If still untreated, about 15% of people will
develop the complications of late, or tertiary, syphilis. In these
cases, the bacteria can damage the heart, eyes, brain, nervous system,
bones, joints, or almost any other part of the body. This stage can last
for years, with the final stage leading to mental illness, blindness,
other neurological problems, heart disease, and death.

treatement:

Syphilis can be treated with antibiotics, preferably penicillin. Newly
acquired infections can be cured easily. A longer treatment may be
needed to cure someone who has been infected for more than a year.