Syphilis

Syphilis is a disease with a long history; it was present in the New World prior to 1492 and possibly introduced into Europe. In 1905, Fritz Schaudinn and colleague Erich Hoffmann discovered the bacterium that causes syphilis: Treponema pallidum. Prior to this, syphilis and gonorrhoea were thought to be caused by the same organism. The British physiologist and surgeon John Hunter reported that after he had inoculated himself with exudates from a patient with gonorrhoea, he developed gonorrhoea and syphilis. Syphilis is caused by a bacterium belonging to the Spirochaetaceae family. There are more than 70 species in the genera comprising this family, with some of the genus Treponema pathogenic to man, causing syphilis, yaws, bejel and pinta. Primary syphilis typically presents as a painless syphilitic chancre or skin sore which may become ulcerated, and is contagious. In addition to the primary chancre at the site of inoculation, primary syphilis is associated with regional lymphadenopathy.