Question

what are the consequences of not treating syphilis?

What virulence factors are associated with Treponema pallidum? How do they contribute to this microbe’s ability to cause disease?

Answer 1

1).

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by Treponema Pallidum. The first sign of infection is a chancre sore that are painless ulcers. Syphilis is characterized by primary, secondary, latent and tertiary stages of the disease.

The stages of untreated syphilis is given below:

Stage 1: Presence of a painless, contagious lesion (chancre) that heals within 1 or 2 moths, while the causative pathogen spread throughout the body, multiply, and produce lesions. The chancre disappears in 3-6 weeks in both men and women.

Stage 2: The infection remain contagious and systemic manifestation is present. Symptoms include, fever, headache, joint pains, mouth ulcers, and rashes on palms and soles.

Stage 3 or latent period: The period ranges between 1 to 40 years, the infection remain subclinical or asymptomatic. The lesions occurring during this stage are called, “gummas,” which invade the several body systems and can make a person disabled or it can be life threatening.

2Q).

Virulence factors associated with T. pallidum –

Various hemolysins, a membrane protein that allow access of nutrients while avoiding the access to antibodies produced against the organism. The organism also contains ligands that favor cytoadhesion and infection of the healthy cells.