Gram-negative spiral-shaped bacteria: Possess endoflagella, which help in motility by twisting their body.
Thin, tightly coiled, motile, and non-capsulated: Their unique structure allows them to move through viscous environments like mucous membranes.

Types

Treponema pallidum: Causes syphilis.
Treponema carateum: Causes pinta, a skin disease.
Treponema pertenue: Causes yaws, a tropical infection of the skin, bones, and joints.
Treponema endemicum: Causes bejel, a disease found in arid areas.

Source

Humans only: The primary reservoir for spirochetes like Treponema species is human hosts.

Pathogenicity

Syphilis:
- Primary syphilis: Characterized by a painless indurated chancre at the inoculation site (genitals, mouth, lips) that is highly infectious and heals within 4-6 weeks.
- Secondary syphilis: Develops 4-12 weeks later with a flat cutaneous rash, flu-like symptoms, and condylomata lata. This stage is also contagious.
- Latent syphilis: No symptoms, but infection persists.
- Tertiary syphilis: Manifests years later with serious complications like aortitis, CNS involvement (tabes dorsalis), and gummata (granulomatous lesions) in bones and organs.
Pinta: Seen in South and Central America. After an incubation period of up to 30 weeks, small skin papules develop, leading to hypopigmentation. Spread through direct contact or insect vectors. Diagnosis and treatment are similar to syphilis.
Yaws: Initially a skin disease, but can cause destructive lesions of the skin, lymph nodes, and bones. Common in South and Central America, it spreads through direct contact in areas with poor hygiene. Treatment is the same as for syphilis.
Bejel: Found in hot arid regions of the eastern Mediterranean and Saharan West Africa. Starts with mouth ulcers, and later causes locally destructive bone lesions.

🔎 Investigations

Dark ground or fluorescent microscopy: Used to visualize spirochetes in clinical samples.
Non-specific tests for syphilis: VDRL, RPR, and ART (antibody tests to detect nonspecific antibodies).
Specific anti-treponemal antigen tests: FTA-ABS (Fluorescent Treponemal Antibody Absorption) and MHA-TP (Microhemagglutination assay for Treponema pallidum).

💊 Management

Benzylpenicillin: A single injection can be sufficient for non-syphilis cases like Pinta, Yaws, and Bejel.
Syphilis management: Referral to an STD clinic is necessary for contact tracing, screening for other sexually transmitted infections, and appropriate treatment.
Contact tracing for Pinta, Yaws, and Bejel: These infections are highly contagious, making contact tracing and treatment essential.

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Treponema

ℹ️ About

Characteristics

Types

Source

Pathogenicity

🔎 Investigations

💊 Management

Categories