Syphilis Rapid test
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Treponema-pallidum subspecies pallidum. The signs and symptoms of syphilis vary depending in which of the four stages it presents (primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary). In latent syphilis, which can last for years, there are few or no symptoms.
Syphilis is transmitted primarily by sexual contact or during pregnancy from a mother to her fetus; the spirochete is able to pass through intact mucous membranes or compromised skin• Syphilis is a notifiable disease in many countries, including Canada the European Union, and the United States. Approximately 30% to 60% of those exposed to primary or secondary syphilis will get the disease In 2015, about 45.4 million people were infected with syphilis, with 6 million new cases• Untreated, it has a mortality of 8% to 58%, with a greater death rate in males. With early treatment, few complications result.
Syphilis is difficult to diagnose clinically early in its presentation. Confirmation is either via blood tests or direct visual inspection using microscopy. Blood tests are more commonly used, as they are easier to perform. Because of the possibility of false positives with nontreponemal tests, confirmation is required with a treponemal test, such as treponemal pallidum particle agglutination (TPHA) or fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption test (FT A-Abs ) . Treponemal antibody tests usually become positive 2-5 weeks after the initial infection