Final answer:
Syphilis progresses through primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary stages, starting with a painless chancre and potentially leading to severe organ damage if untreated. It is very serious in pregnant women, where it can cause stillbirth or infant death in up to 40% of cases. Penicillin is the recommended and effective treatment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Stages of Syphilis Infection
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum (T. pallidum). After entering the body, T. pallidum rapidly moves into the bloodstream and tissues, initiating the progression through several distinctive stages of infection if left untreated. Primary syphilis is the initial stage, where a painless lesion known as a hard chancre appears within 10 to 90 days of transmission, often unnoticed due to its painless nature and hidden locations like the cervix or anus.
The secondary stage follows the healing of the primary chancre, with the development of a rash that can affect the skin and mucous membranes. This rash often begins on the palms or soles and can spread. Symptoms may include fever and swollen lymph nodes. This stage is characterized by high contagiousness.
Latent syphilis succeeds the secondary phase with no symptoms but persistent bacterial presence, detectable through blood tests. This phase can last for years. In the absence of appropriate antibiotic therapy, syphilis may progress to tertiary syphilis, the final stage causing severe damage to internal organs and potentially leading to death.
Pregnant women with untreated syphilis risk transmitting the disease to the fetus, leading to serious outcomes, including stillbirth or infant death in 40 percent of cases. Diagnosis typically relies on blood tests detecting specific antibodies, and penicillin is the recommended treatment, which is highly effective in preventing mother-to-fetus transmission if a pregnant woman tests positive.