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Bacterial Infections of Humans pp 803–811Cite as

Syphilis

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The endemic treponematoses are a group of chronic diseases affecting primarily the skin of children and young adults who live in remote, impoverished areas between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. They are considered as a group because they have many clinical, pathological, and epidemiological features in common (see Table 1). They are also caused by spirochetes that are closely related to one another and to Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum of venereal syphilis.(1) These diseases with their etiologic treponeme in order of their worldwide prevalence are yaws (T. pallidum subsp. pertenue), endemic syphilis (T. pallidum subsp. endemicum), and pinta (Treponema carateum).

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The authors would like to thank Peter L. Perine, MD, who passed away in 2003, for the initial groundwork of this chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 518 Laurelwood Dr, Hercules, CA 94547, USA

    Ammar M. Ahmed

  2. Center for Clinical Studies, Houston, Texas, USA

    Vandana Madkan, Julie S. Brantley & Natalia Mendoza

  3. University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas, USA

    Stephen K. Tyring

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  1. Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Clifton Road NE., 1518, Atlanta, 30322, U.S.A.

    Philip S. Brachman

  2. College of Medicine, Office of Faculty Affairs, Drexel University, Race Street 1505, Philadelphia, 19102, U.S.A.

    Elias Abrutyn

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Ahmed, A.M., Madkan, V., Brantley, J.S., Mendoza, N., Tyring, S.K. (2009). Syphilis. In: Brachman, P., Abrutyn, E. (eds) Bacterial Infections of Humans. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-09843-2_37

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