All syphilis articles
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NewsWhen a lip ulcer isn’t what it seems: Rare case of syphilis mistaken for mouth injury
Any lip ulcer that is painless, firm, and persists beyond two to three weeks should prompt syphilis testing, even if the presentation does not fit the typical genital picture, warn scientists presenting an unusual case study.
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NewsSurvey highlights persistent uncertainty on STI vaccines
A nationally representative survey of empaneled adults finds that while most Americans understand how STIs spread, there are significant gaps in public knowledge about which infections can be prevented through vaccination.
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NewsBacterial STIs reach record highs in Europe, and congenital syphilis cases nearly double
New figures indicate a surge in bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) across Europe. In 2024, notifications of gonorrhoea and syphilis, alongside congenital syphilis, reached their highest levels in over a decade, reflecting sustained transmission across multiple countries.
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NewsHas life-saving HIV therapy contributed to increased rates of a sexually transmitted disease?
A study has uncovered an unintended consequence of a major medical breakthrough: while the availability of HIV treatments in the late 1990s dramatically improved survival, they also contributed to a resurgence in syphilis, a sexually transmitted infection.
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NewsAs syphilis cases rise, study links infection with higher risk of stroke, heart attack and other serious cardiovascular problems
Adults with later-stage syphilis are more likely to develop major cardiovascular problems – including stroke, heart attack or aortic aneurysm – than similar patients without the infection. The increased risk is primarily found in those whose infection progressed longer than a year.
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NewsAncient DNA pushes back record of treponemal disease-causing bacteria by 3,000 years
Scientists have recovered a genome of Treponema pallidum from 5,500-year-old human remains in Sabana de Bogotá, Colombia. The research expands knowledge about the history of this infectious disease and its occurrence in human populations.
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NewsMaldives is first country to achieve ‘triple elimination’ of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B
The World Health Organization has validated the Maldives for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B, while maintaining its earlier validation for EMTCT of HIV and syphilis. This makes the Maldives the first country in the world to achieve ‘triple elimination’.
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NewsOne dose of antibiotic treats early syphilis as well as three doses
Researchers have found that a single injection of the antibiotic benzathine penicillin G (BPG) successfully treated early syphilis just as well as the three-injection regimen used by many clinicians. These findings from a late-stage clinical trial suggest the second and third doses of conventional BPG therapy do not provide a health benefit.
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News$2.7 million NIH grant to fund first comprehensive syphilis test
With a four-year, $2.7 million grant from NIAID, researchers aim to develop a one-step confirmatory laboratory test that can definitively diagnose active syphilis infection within 10 minutes.
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FeaturesUnder the microscope: syphilis
The number of infectious syphilis diagnoses has reached a new high over the past decade, with an 184.4% rise in reported cases between 2013 and 2023. But what is syphilis and what are the risks?
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NewsAs prevention strategy for sexually transmitted infections rolls out, experts highlight both promise and knowledge gaps
Real-world evidence demonstrates that the postexposure strategy of doxy PEP is reducing the rate of syphilis and chlamydia, but has had little to no effect on gonorrhea and needs close monitoring for signals of antibiotic resistance.
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NewsNew study shows plummeting STIs with doxyPEP use
A new study has found that rates of chlamydia and syphilis plummet among people prescribed doxycycline for sexually transmitted infection prevention in routine clinical care.
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NewsSyphilis had its roots in the Americas, archaeological bone reveals
New research supports a root in the Americas for syphilis and its known relatives, and their introduction to Europe starting in the late 15th century is most consistent with the data, scientists say.
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NewsScientists reveal how doxycycline for STI prevention affects the gut microbiome
Taking a dose of the oral antibiotic doxycycline after a high-risk sexual encounter has dramatically reduced the incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in places where the strategy is being tried. Source: NIAID Capsules of the antibiotic doxycycline Despite its effectiveness, the new strategy, known ...
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NewsResearchers home in on vaccine target in an ancient scourge
Researchers and doctors have collected one of the most extensive genomic surveys of the syphilis bacterium to date and correlated the genetic data with clinical information about the patients who provided the samples.
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NewsEmergency department screening more than doubles detection of syphilis cases
Providing optional syphilis tests to most people seeking care at a large emergency department led to a dramatic increase in syphilis screening and diagnosis, according to a study of nearly 300,000 emergency department encounters in Chicago.
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NewsNIH awards will support innovation in syphilis diagnostics
NIAID has awarded grants for 10 projects to improve diagnostic tools for congenital and adult syphilis—conditions currently diagnosed with a sequence of tests, each with limited precision.
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NewsSurvey finds many have misconceptions about sexually transmitted infection risk
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are on the rise in the U.S., including an 80% increase in syphilis over a five-year period, but a new survey finds many Americans have misconceptions on how STIs are spread and who should be treated.
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NewsSyphilis cases are rising, but many people don’t know the symptoms
Syphilis cases are on the rise around the globe, but many Americans don’t know the symptoms. Just over half know that a case of syphilis can be permanently cured and most either mistakenly think there is a vaccine to prevent it or are unsure.
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NewsMore older adults being diagnosed with STIs such as gonorrhoea and syphilis
STIs in Americans aged 55 to 64 years have more than doubled over the past decade; in England the number of over 45s diagnosed with gonorrhoea and syphilis doubled between 2015 and 2019.