Urinary and Reproductive Diseases: Lecture 4

Syphilis

Primary stage s/s

small painless reddened hard lesion at the infected site 10-21 days after

chancre can have serum and infectious spirochetes filled and can occur anywhere

Secondary stage s/s

sore throat, HA, mild fever, malaise, wide spread rash

Latent stage: no symptoms for up to 10 years

tertiary stage

yrs later: dementia, blindness, heart failure, paralysis

can have gummas: rubbery swollen lesions in bones, nervous tissue, and on skin

Pathogen: Treponema pallidum; only lives in humans

makes hyaluronidase to make it easier to get in intracellular space

transmitted through sexual contact or from mom to baby

common among sex workers, homosexuals, and illegal drug use

dx by an antibody test like MHA-TP that uses RBC's that have been artificially coated with antigens

treat: penicillin G is used for all types except tertiary

prevent by safe sex practices; no vaccine

Chlamydial Infection

most common type of infection

s/s: most women have no symptoms, men have painful urination and pus discharge from urethra

can cause epididymis, PID, orchitis, testes inflammation, trachoma, disease of eye in babies.

can cause lymphogranuloma venerum: form genital lesion and bubo, painful inflam lymph node; can rupture causing discharge and sores

Pathogen: chlamydia trachomatic; all strains but one are in humans

Life cycle

only grow in a vesicle

elementary bodies are the infective form

reticulate bodies are non-infective, obliately, intracellular form

microbes enter body through scrapes or cuts

can spread to lymphatic system and cause proctitis

if teen girls have it, it can increase risk for getting cervical cancer

dx by detecting chlamydia DNA by PCR

treat with antimicrobial drugs

prevent by abstinence or by having a monogamy