Jornal de Doenças Infecciosas e Medicina Preventiva
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Abstrato

On the Origin of Syphilis and Contemporary Views of Disease Dynamics

Kevin L. Karem and Allan Pillay

Despite effective treatment availability for nearly a century, syphilis remains a global public health problem with significant social and economic impact. Over 500 years after the first reports of this sexually transmitted infection, questions remain regarding its origins, relationship to other infectious agents and effective control measures. Studies addressing origins of syphilis and non-syphilitic treponemes provide content to questions of evolution and emergence, however, many questions remain. Disease dynamics of syphilis are embedded in social behaviors and contribute heavily to propagation of this ancient disease. Discussions on the origins of syphilis and disease dynamics are presented.