Final answer:
A patient with latent syphilis remains asymptomatic and while generally not infectious through casual contact, could still transmit the bacteria to an unborn child, indicating there is a potential for transmission in specific circumstances.
Step-by-step explanation:
A patient with latent syphilis is asymptomatic but still harbors the bacteria that caused the disease. In this phase, there are no symptoms, yet the disease remains detectable via blood tests. The latent stage of syphilis can persist for years before potentially progressing to the more severe tertiary phase, where it can cause significant damage to internal organs.
Latent syphilis is often considered non-infectious in terms of casual contact, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) clarifies that a mother can still transmit it to her unborn child during pregnancy. Therefore, while generally not considered infectious through typical person-to-person interactions during this stage, there is still a risk in specific scenarios such as pregnancy.