Treponema palladium
Causing Syphilis
Treponema species due to their motile nature, can be poorly stained with gram negative staining.
Treponema palladium is cause for disease syphilis.
Morphology
Gram -ve bacilli, long, flexible, spiral or cork screw shaped rods with endoflagella, actively motile.
Size; 10 micrometre long and 0.1- 0.2 micrometre wide.
Source and Mode of Transmission
It is mainly transmitted by-
1. Sexual contact
2. Infected blood transfusions
Therefore infected semen, vaginal secretion and blood is major source of infection.
Pathogenesis
Organism enter through sexual contact or transplacently.
It cannot exist or survive outside the host body for more than few minutes.
Organism penetrates in mucous membrane through genitalia and produce following disease;
Syphilis
Primary stage;
Hard genital or oral ulcer develop at site of inoculation.
Secondary stage;
Appearance of red rash, any part of body, palms of hand and sole of feet.
Tertiary stage;
Degeneration of nervous system, cardiovascular lesion.
Congenital Syphilis
Treponema palladium
Can transmited through placenta to fetus, cause abortion of fetus.
Other/ treponemal infection
Laboratory Diagnosis
Specimen collection
Lesion infect area.
Dark field microscopic examination
Appear spiral, flexible, slow movement, black background appear.
It can also be confirmed by direct fluorescent antibody test
DFA-TP test
Better and safe method for microscopic diagnosis of treponema palladium.
Serological test
Infected with treponema palladium produce two types of antibodies;
1. Treponemal tests (Treponemes are used as antigen)
a. RPCF test (Reiter's protein complement fixation test)
b. TPIA test (Treponema palladium immune adherence test)
c. TPA test ( Treponema palladium agglutination test)
d. FTA test (Fluorescent treponema palladium)
e. FTA- ABS test (Fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption test)
f. TPHA ( Treponema palladium haemagglutination assay test)
2. Non- treponemal tests (Cardiolipin or lipoidal antigen is used)
a. Wassermann test
b. Kahn test
c. VDRL (venereal diseases research loboratory test)
Treatment
One single treatment with penicillin is effective for primary and secondary syphilis.
No antibiotic resistance has been reported.
Alternative therapy with erythromycin and tetracycline may also be effective.
Prevention
Treatment of pregnant mother with appropriate antibiotics prevent congenital Syphilis.
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