Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum.
It is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases, with over 36,000 cases reported annually in the United States. It is mainly transmitted through sexual contact and contact with syphilitic ulcers, but it is possible to transmit syphilis through saliva during some stages of the disease. When ulcers containing bacteria form in the mouth, the disease can be spread through kissing or oral-genital contact.
Transmission of syphilis is most common through genital sexual contact; during the first stage of syphilis, painless sores, known as ulcers, form around the area of primary contact with the bacteria.
These ulcers are mainly painless and usually occur around the genitals. If pallidum bacteria come into contact with soft tissue inside the mouth, ulcers can form on the lips, tongue, or inside the mouth.
During this stage, the transmission of syphilis through saliva is possible, as the tumours are filled with infectious bacteria. An infection can occur if saliva containing pallidum bacteria comes into contact with another person’s mucous membranes or damaged skin.
The bacteria that cause syphilis cannot survive for long outside the human body. While direct contact with an infected person’s saliva can lead to infection, indirect communication is unlikely to be infectious.
Furthermore, although the blood of a syphilitic person can remain infectious for about four years, the possibility of spreading the infection through saliva is limited only to the early stages of the disease. Almost all cases of syphilitic transmission occur during the first year of the disease, with the potential for infection being almost entirely reduced after four years.
After a few weeks, syphilitic tumours usually go away on their own. They are replaced 10 to 90 days later with a painless rash commonly occurring on the hands and feet.
The inflammation, like ulcers, can spread pale bacteria to those who come into contact with it, and oral communication with the rash can result in brief infectious saliva. Ulcers can also appear inside the cheeks and lips, creating another possible vector of syphilis transmission through saliva.
Syphilis can be treated successfully with antibiotics if it is caught early. Early treatment is recommended to stop the disease from spreading to others and avoid the potentially severe effects of late-stage syphilis.
The treatment also leads to the disappearance of ulcers, skin rashes and mouth ulcers, and this closes most of the possible vectors of syphilis infection through saliva.
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