Characteristics of syphilis according to each stage of disease development

Syphilis is a bacterial infection that is usually spread through sexual contact. Syphilis is treatable if diagnosed in its early stages. In cases where the disease is not diagnosed and treated early, it can lead to disability, neurological disorders and death.

Syphilis is caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. The common route of transmission of this disease is through contact with people who have the infection during sexual activity. The bacteria enter the body through small cuts or scrapes in the skin or mucous membranes. Syphilis is contagious during the primary and secondary stages, or even during the latent syphilis incubation period.
Some of the less common routes of transmission for syphilis include close, direct unprotected contact with unhealed lesions (such as while kissing) or mothers infecting their babies. during pregnancy or childbirth, this is congenital syphilis.
Syphilis cannot be spread by using the same toilet, bathtub, clothing or eating utensils, or from doorknobs, swimming pools or hot tubs. Accordingly, the disease does not go away on its own, but requires a specific treatment plan. However, people who have been cured of the disease can still be re-infected if exposed to the source of infection.

Syphilis usually includes stages such as primary, secondary, latent, and latent syphilis.
2.1. Primary syphilis Primary syphilis is also known as early syphilis. Initial symptoms of the disease appear between 10 days and 3 months after exposure to the syphilis pathogen. You may notice that the lymph nodes near the groin are enlarged.
Usually, the first visible sign of syphilis is a small, painless sore on the skin, which doctors call a chancre. It usually occurs at the site where bacteria enter the body. The sore has been damaged and it may be hidden inside the rectum or vagina. Or even the sufferer does not know the presence of the disease in his body.
The sores will heal on their own after about 3 to 6 weeks. But this does not mean that the syphilis infection has gone away. But this is the progression of the disease to the second stage.
2.2. Secondary syphilis About 2 to 10 weeks after the first sore appears you will notice some of the following signs of secondary syphilis:
A skin rash that causes small, red-brown sores. Sores in the mouth, vagina, or anus Fever Inflammation of the glands Unexplained weight loss Hair loss Headache Extreme fatigue Muscle pain These signs may go away within a few weeks or come and go. go within a year. Without immediate treatment, these symptoms will keep coming back. Even if the symptoms of the disease do not return, the syphilis infection remains in the body. Syphilis will get worse and can infect people who are in direct contact.
2.3. Latent syphilis If an infected person is left untreated for secondary syphilis, the disease can progress to the latent stage of syphilis. Not everyone with syphilis goes through this stage. Because, if an infected person goes into the latent stage, it means that this person has been carrying the pathogen in the body for many years. In some cases, the symptoms will never return. Although the infection may be gone, the bacteria that cause syphilis remain in the body. And with some cases in the latent stage the disease can progress to the third stage of the disease.

2.4. Tertiary syphilis About 15-30% of people with untreated syphilis will develop complications. Tertiary syphilis is the final stage of the disease. It can appear 10 to 30 years after the initial infection. The body can suffer permanent organ damage and death,
Possible complications when syphilis is at this stage:
Brain (nerve) problems. Neurosyphilis is a condition that develops when the bacteria T. pallidum has spread to the nervous system. It is often associated with latent syphilis and late-stage syphilis. However, it can occur any time after the primary stage. A person with neuropathy may be asymptomatic for a long time. Alternatively, these symptoms may develop gradually. Symptoms include: memory loss or changes in mental status, abnormal gait, numbness in the extremities, problems with concentration, confusion, headache, or seizures, vision problems or vision loss, weakness
Personality changes Dementia Dementia Heart valve disease Aneurysm 2.5. Congenital syphilis Congenital syphilis is serious and often life-threatening. T. pallidum bacteria can be transferred from a pregnant woman to her unborn baby across the placenta and during delivery. Pregnant women with this disease, if not treated promptly, can lead to a very high risk of stillbirth and infant death. Research data shows that without screening and treatment, about 70% of women with syphilis will have an adverse pregnancy outcome. These adverse outcomes include premature infant mortality or preterm or low birth weight and neonatal infections.

Most babies born with syphilis have no symptoms. If present, there may be saddle nose symptoms in which the bridge of the nose is missing; fever; difficulty gaining weight, rash on the genitals, anus, and mouth; Small blisters on the hands and feet that turn into a copper-colored rash, which may be bumpy or flat, and spread to the face, runny nose. Young children may experience: Hutchinson teeth, pin-shaped teeth, bone pain, vision loss, hearing loss, swollen joints, bent legs, bone problems in the lower legs, scarring of the skin around the genitals, anus and mouth, gray patches around the outer vagina and anus.
Eventually, children can develop complications of the disease in many organs in the body including: enlarged liver, jaundice, inflammation of the gland, abnormal bones, problems with the brain, nerves...

There is no vaccine for syphilis, so to help prevent the spread of the disease some measures should be taken such as:
Abstinence or monogamy is the only way to prevent syphilis from spreading sexually transmitted. Use condoms to reduce your risk of syphilis, but only if the condom covers a syphilis sore. Do not use stimulants. Abuse of alcohol or drugs can inhibit judgment and lead to unsafe sex

Notify partners and provide preventive treatment. If testing shows you have syphilis, your sex partners need to be notified so they can be tested. In case they do get it, they can be treated promptly. Screening for pregnant women. Most people can be infected with syphilis and not even know it. Because syphilis can be fatal to newborns, health authorities recommend that women have health checks and pre-marital health checks before deciding to become pregnant. Vinmec International General Hospital offers a Social Disease Screening and Examination Package to help customers detect sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis early. From the results of that examination, the doctor will advise on effective treatment and prevention directions. The screening package for social diseases at Vinmec is for all ages, both men and women.

References: webmd.com, medicalnewstoday.com, healthline.com, mayoclinic.org