Definition and Etiology of Syphilis

The causative agent of syphilis belongs to a group of bacteria known as Treponemataceae, which comprises three genera of bacteria: Leptospira, Borrelia and Treponema. They are characterized by a flexible cell wall. The causative agent of syphilis belongs to the genus Treponema, and is known as Treponema pallidum.

At first the disease was fatal and acute killed within a few days. Today the disease is defined as a sexually transmitted disease of chronic or slow, which attacks nearly every organ of the human body, specifically produced by Treponema pallidum. Syphilis with tuberculosis is considered the major simulators, since they simulate any kind of disease or may be mistaken by doctors for any type of disease.

Structure and Overview of Treponema pallidum

Helical organisms are extremely fine and thin, which is characterized by a flexible cell wall, and surrounding wall are small microfibrillars, which actually have a structure like a flagella, are therefore considered endoflagella.

Trimming to the cell wall and endoflagella is an external dual layer, which has a structure similar to the structure of the layers of the gram-negative bacteria, but this is not a gram-negative bacteria, are not stained with dyes of gram. It is a virtually invisible bacteria, we can not observe with light microscopy due to flow (1) because its thinness (2) has the same index of refraction of light to medium that contains it.

Have movements of flexion and rotation, due to the cell wall and the flexible endoflagella.

This bacterium is able to metabolize glucose in the presence of oxygen, but is also able to incorporate amino acids to proteins synthesized in the absence of oxygen (before it was believed to be an anaerobic bacteria, but as you see, is able to metabolize in the presence of oxygen).

You can have some success in laboratory cultures (in vitro), provided that such means cell, but only because it is difficult to get crops to the 1st generation, beyond the first generation can no longer be cultivated. So little is known of them.

Finally, the visualization of these bacteria will be: dark-field microscopy, fluorescent antibody, electron microscopy and special stains, mostly silver or silver staining.

Characteristics of Treponema pallidum

1. Resistance

1. The Treponema pallidum is extremely labile to environmental conditions:

1. Dies quickly

1. No resists desiccation: a person with syphilis who becomes the primary chancre lesion, which was read by sitting in a cup is a lie, had to be something, even toys.

1. Dies to most disinfectants: a lie that was obtained in ponds

1. Highly sensitive to penicillin now is talk that some strains of T. Pallidum are becoming resistant to penicillin, even before penicillin was effective.

1. Extremely labile to low concentrations of erythromycin and
tetracycline

Antigenic structure

T. pallidum has little in its outer membrane antigens, or tendered but is able to stimulate antibody production but not known to have a role for immunity (which are very protective), or can be used for diagnosis . They also produce antibodies which are antibodies directed to a substance called cardiolipin (diphosphatidylglycerol); these are used a lot in the diagnosis of the disease.

Transmission of syphilis

1. Transmission is almost exclusively by sexual contact
2. Congenital, from mother to child, or what is called vertical transmission
3. Needlestick injuries: those who manipulate and work the bacteria in the laboratory
4. Blood transfusion in patients (¿?): mainly blood donors
5. Through the use of sanitary towels or other: Prostitutes

Epidemiology of syphilis

At first the disease was most severe, there was a high mortality. With the advent of the use of antibiotics (especially penicillin) incidence and prevalence of the disease decreased greatly. Then increased again, this has to do with changes in lifestyle of the people (for the following reasons):

1. Decreased fear (especially males) per treatment: highly effective treatment, although some tend to treat the wrong disease
2. Increase in sex among youth and adolescents by the use of contraceptives. This resulted in a lack of fear of pregnancy
3. Prostitution (socio-economic problems), many men and women engaged in prostitution because they cannot find work.