Treponema pallidum Antibody Detection Kit (Colloidal Gold)

Epidemiology

Syphilis is a human-specific infection caused by the spirochete Treponema pallidum. Individuals with either active (symptomatic) or latent (asymptomatic) disease serve as reservoirs, shedding high concentrations of the organism from skin lesions and into the blood. The illness is categorized as congenital or acquired.

In congenital infection, treponemes traverse the placenta into the fetal bloodstream, producing a systemic fetal infection. Rapid multiplication in fetal organs—particularly the liver, spleen, lungs, and adrenal glands—and tissues can lead to miscarriage or stillbirth. When the fetus survives, characteristic findings include gummatous skin tumors, periostitis, notched incisors (Hutchinson teeth), and sensorineural deafness.

Acquired syphilis follows a complex clinical course divided into three stages: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary and secondary stages are grouped as early syphilis, characterized by high contagion and relatively mild tissue injury. Tertiary, or late, syphilis features low infectivity but a protracted course and severe destructive lesions.