Syphilis

Question 1

5 old world diseases that affected the western hemisphere

Answer 1

malaria
yellow fever
dengue
flu and cold
pox
measles

Question 2

causative bacterial agent of syphilis? what type of bacteria is it?

Answer 2

treponema pallidum
Spirochete bacteria

Question 3

how is syphilis transmitted

Answer 3

sexual contact with infectious lesion

Question 4

stages of syphilis

Answer 4

Primary stage: small sore on mouth and genitals lasting a few weeks

Secondary: flu-like symptoms and rashes lasting 10-90 days

Latent stage: asymptomatic as bacteria is hidden

Tertiary stage: bacteria gets into CNS and causes neural damage

Question 5

treatment of syphilis

Answer 5

Penicillin

Question 6

what was the Tuskegee experiment

Answer 6

1930s-1970s experiment on black Americans to test residents for syphilis to conduct treatment trials
-participants were not told the truth about the study, and when funding ran out they were left untreated

Question 7

how did the Tuskegee experiment impact local communities

Answer 7

impacted trust of medical professionals by the black community

Question 8

what government regulatory changes were made as a result of the Tuskegee experiments

Answer 8

led to national commission for the protection of human subjects of biomedical and behavioral research

Question 9

reasons for Texas having the highest syphilis rates

Answer 9

-inadequate sex ed
-underfunded STD prevention programs
-few have healthcare
-rising drug addiction

Question 10

what is Hutchison’s triad?
what is it present in?

Answer 10

Hutchison’s teeth, interstitial keratitis, 8th nerve deafness.
-present in congenital syphilis

Question 11

what diagnostic tests can identify syphilis

Answer 11

dark field microscopy
antibody tests
nucleic acid tests

Question 12

what disease were mercury and arsenic used as treatment for

Answer 12

syphilis

Question 13

other morphologically identical spirochetes to syphilis

Answer 13

yaws
bejel
pinta