Syphilis is a curable sexually transmitted disease caused by the Treponema pallidum spirochete. The route of transmission of syphilis is almost always by sexual contact. However, there are examples of congenital syphilis via transmission from mother to child in utero. Syphilis infection during pregnancy can kill the baby before birth or cause serious, permanent disabilities such as blindness or damage to the heart, brain, or skeleton. This disease can usually be cured with a single dose of penicillin. However, it’s important to receive treatment early, because therapy cannot reverse damage that has already occurred.

Syphilis Symptoms  

Syphilis may progress through three distinct stages. Sometimes not all three may be evident.

1. Primary phase: The primary phase usually starts with a sore at the site of infection. The sore or lesion is called a chancre (pronounced shanker). This sore usually appears as a craterlike lesion on the male or female genitals, although any part of the body is at risk. Anyone who touches an infected sore can transmit the infection. This initial lesion develops 3-4 weeks after infection and heals spontaneously after 1 week. Though the sore goes away, the disease does not. It progresses into the secondary phase.
   
   
2. Secondary phase: The secondary phase may develop 4-10 weeks after the chancre. This phase has many symptoms, which is why syphilis is called the great pretender. It may look like a number of other illnesses. This phase of syphilis can go away without treatment, but the disease then enters the third phase. These are the most frequently reported symptoms of the secondary phase.
   

• Muscle aches
  
• Sore throat
  
• Flu like symptoms
  
• Whole-body rash (involves the
  palms and soles)
  
• Headache
  
• Decreased appetite
  
• Patchy Hair Loss & Swollen lymph
  nodes
  
• Fever
• Joint pain