The center of the chancre fills with serum that is extremely infectious (presence of millions of spirochetes)

Secondary syphilis (b)- pt will suffer sore throat, HA, mild fever. Malaise, myalgia and widespread rash

Tertiary syphilis-(c) Years later, untreated pts dementia, blindness, paralysis, heart failure, or syphilitic gummas (rubbery, swollen lesions in bones, nervous tissue, or on the skin)

Virulence factors have been difficult to identify but believe virulent strains make hyaluronidase, which makes it easy for them to infiltrate intercellular spaces.

Sometimes transmitted from mother to child (congenital) can result in death of a fetus or mental retardation and malformation of many organs

Endemic among sex workers, men who have sex with men, and users of illegal drugs- It does occur in US

Goal of CDC to achieve an incidence of < than .2 cases per 100,000 population in q country by 2010– not met

Antibody test is used to diagnose primary, secondary, and congenital syphilis such as MHA-TP that uses RBCs that have been artificially coated with Treponema antigens.

Trachoma: disease of the eye this for babies who are infected at birth

Lymphogranuloma venereum: formation of a genital lesion and bubo in the groin (painfully inflamed lymph node in groin) can rupture causing drainage and sores)

Reticulate bodies are the noninfective,, obligately intracellular form