What is the morphology of Treponema?

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What is the morphology of syphilis?

The particular spirochete responsible for syphilis is Treponema pallidum. T pallidum is a fragile spiral bacterium 6-15 micrometers long by 0.25 micrometers in diameter.

How do you identify Treponema pallidum?

Direct diagnostic methods include the detection of T pallidum by microscopic examination of fluid or smears from lesions, histological examination of tissues or nucleic acid amplification methods such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Indirect diagnosis is based on serological tests for the detection of antibodies.

Is Treponema pallidum Gram-negative or positive?

Treponema pallidum is a Gram-negative micro-aerophilic bacterium, 6–20 μm long, 0.1–0.2 μm wide and tightly coiled. The treponemes are motile by three flagella (axial filaments) that wrap around the surface of the organism and are covered by the outer membrane which contains lipopolysaccharide.

Which bacteria are spirochetes?

Spirochete, (order Spirochaetales), also spelled spirochaete, any of a group of spiral-shaped bacteria, some of which are serious pathogens for humans, causing diseases such as syphilis, yaws, Lyme disease, and relapsing fever. Examples of genera of spirochetes include Spirochaeta, Treponema, Borrelia, and Leptospira.

What disease is caused by Treponema pallidum?

Vivien Williams: Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. Dr. Stacey Rizza, an infectious diseases specialist at Mayo Clinic, says syphilis affects men and women and can present in various stages.

Who is syphilis most common among?

It occurs most commonly in those between 15 and 40 years of age. In the United States, rates of syphilis as of 2007 were six times greater in men than women while they were nearly equal in 1997. Rates are also greater in African Americans and Hispanics than in Caucasians.

How is Treponema pallidum transmitted?

COMMUNICABILITY: Treponema pallidum is transmitted by direct contact with active lesions; healed lesions are not infective 3. T pallidum pallidum is also spread through sexual contact, and from a pregnant mother to her child.

How does T pallidum enter the body?

Treponema pallidum is the causative organism of syphilis. It is a motile spirochete that is generally acquired by close sexual contact and which enters host tissue by breaches in squamous or columnar epithelium.

Can spirochetes be cured?

Endemic treponematoses Late stage and early stages, as well as contacts of patients are treated with the same regimen. Those who are penicillin-allergic are treated with tetracycline or doxycycline for 14 days if greater than 8 years old, or erythromycin if less than 8 years old. Most patients get cured.

Is the outer membrane of Treponema pallidum Gram negative?

Treponema pallidum is a helically shaped bacterium consisting of an outer membrane, peptidoglycan layer, inner membrane, protoplasmic cylinder, and periplasmic space. It is often described as Gram negative, but its outer membrane lacks lipopolysaccharide, which is found in the outer membrane of other Gram-negative bacteria.

How big is a Treponema pallidum corkscrew shaped organism?

Morphology of Treponema pallidum Treponemes are thin, delicate, helically coiled, corkscrew-shaped organisms. They are microaerophilic and actively motile. They are measures about 10 to 14 micrometers long and 0.1 to 0.2 micrometer wide.

What kind of bacteria is syphilis Treponema pallidum?

Eubacteria; Spirochaetes; Spirochaetes; Spirochaetales; Spirochaetaceae; Treponema Treponema pallidum is a Gram-negative bacteria which is spiral in shape. It is an obligate internal parasite which causes syphilis, a chronic human disease.

Is it possible to culture Treponema pallidum in the lab?

T. pallidum cannot be cultured in lab which leads to many hurdles for syphilis researchers. The main reason T. pallidum cannot be cultured is because it cannot survive outside of mammalian cells. The current method for studying T. pallidum is by infecting the testes of rabbits with the bacteria.