oct 1, 1926 - Syphillis

Description:

Types of Syphilis:
- Tertiary Syphilis: 30% of people (untreated), 2-40 years after initial infection, bacteria hides in the body (no longer infectious), creates chronic inflammation, 3 forms: Neurological, cardiovascular, gumma
- Neurological: 10% of tertiary, bacteria cross blood brain barrier, protected sterile-site, chronic inflammation of the brain, more likely to happen with HIV co-infection
- Gummatous Syphilis: 15%, chronic inflammation around skin & bones, creates massive lesions.
- Congenital Syphilis: Doubled since 2013, 20 yr high, seen in 37 states, concentrated in the west and the south: Louisiana has the highest rate per capita with 59 cases.

Stages of Syphilis:
Primary: 9-90 days after exposure, chancres, lesions at the site of infection, solitary and painless, multiple and painful.
Secondary: 408 weeks after primary lesions show up. Lesions symmetrical and non-itchy, disseminated over trunk (main part of the body), concentrated on palms of hands and feet.

Symptoms: Tiredness, fever, hair loss, headache

Transmission: Transmitted from person to person by direct intimate contact, mother to child. Historically men who have sex with men are most at risk for syphilis infection, African men are 6 times more likely than white men.

Treatment: Before 1940's: no treatment, pre-antibiotic era involved in compounds made of mercury and arsenic

Important dates/events:
- Tuskegee Study: Two scientists (Clark and Vondelcher) started a study in which they would follow men with syphilis to see the difference of what happened to white vs. black men with syphilis. Would tell patients they were being treated but they weren't, and wouldn't allow them to get treatment from other places. Eventually it was shut down due to ethical problems.
- Guatemalan Syphilis Study: A scientist John Cutler, deliberately infected people with syphilis to test penicillin. 5,550 (unwilling) people were involved. They had men sleep with infected prostitutes, went to orphanages and gave shots, did oral ingestion. Many people were infected with syphilis and weren't compensated for their losses

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