Syphilis 
Syphilis
Student: Ken Phan
Microbiology 309
Professor: Gifty Benson
April 5, 2014
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that has many nicknames such as cupid’s disease, the pox, lues, syph, and the French disease. It starts with sores on the infected area, with the mouth and genitals being the most common places. Syphilis appeared dominantly in Europe near the end of the 1400, by 1500 it had spread throughout the continent, and it reached China and Africa by 1520.
For centuries, the origin of syphilis has been source of controversy. A popular Columbian theory called the Columbian theory claims that syphilis was a New World import brought to Europe by Columbus’ sailor; thus, the explorer during fifteenth and sixteenth century were most likely the reason how syphilis arrived in the United States. By 1947, syphilis reach it’s peaked in the United States with 106,000 cases, but reduce dramatically with the production and widespread of the antibiotic penicillin.
Syphilis is caused by bacterium Treponema palladium from the group of spirochetes which was identified by Schaudin and Hoffman in 1905. Spirochetes are gram negative and are slender corkscrew-shaped bacteria with perplasmic flagella that can enter the body through tiny cracks in the mucuous memberances or skin primarily from minor wounds that occur during sexual activities. Contact with sharing needles and infectious lesions can also spread the disease to another individual. Once inside the body, syphilis can move freely through the body and damage multiples organs overtime. The organisms multiply in the regional lymph nodes and spread throughout the blood stream.
People at the age of 15 and 34 years of age are at the greatest risk of getting syphilis since this is the age where people are most sexually actives. Coming into contact of the infected sore’s with the mouth or other areas while involving in sexual activity can spread syphilis to the un-infected person.
Student: Ken Phan
Microbiology 309
Professor: Gifty Benson
April 5, 2014
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that has many nicknames such as cupid’s disease, the pox, lues, syph, and the French disease. It starts with sores on the infected area, with the mouth and genitals being the most common places. Syphilis appeared dominantly in Europe near the end of the 1400, by 1500 it had spread throughout the continent, and it reached China and Africa by 1520.
For centuries, the origin of syphilis has been source of controversy. A popular Columbian theory called the Columbian theory claims that syphilis was a New World import brought to Europe by Columbus’ sailor; thus, the explorer during fifteenth and sixteenth century were most likely the reason how syphilis arrived in the United States. By 1947, syphilis reach it’s peaked in the United States with 106,000 cases, but reduce dramatically with the production and widespread of the antibiotic penicillin.
Syphilis is caused by bacterium Treponema palladium from the group of spirochetes which was identified by Schaudin and Hoffman in 1905. Spirochetes are gram negative and are slender corkscrew-shaped bacteria with perplasmic flagella that can enter the body through tiny cracks in the mucuous memberances or skin primarily from minor wounds that occur during sexual activities. Contact with sharing needles and infectious lesions can also spread the disease to another individual. Once inside the body, syphilis can move freely through the body and damage multiples organs overtime. The organisms multiply in the regional lymph nodes and spread throughout the blood stream.
People at the age of 15 and 34 years of age are at the greatest risk of getting syphilis since this is the age where people are most sexually actives. Coming into contact of the infected sore’s with the mouth or other areas while involving in sexual activity can spread syphilis to the un-infected person.