Five syphilis warning signs revealed amid Houston outbreak

• Houston has seen a sharp increase in syphilis cases from 2019 to 2022
• STDs have many overlapping symptoms and can be missed by professionals
• Here MailOnline reveals five warning signs of the disease according to experts

A syphilis outbreak has set off alarm bells in Houston.

STI cases among women have skyrocketed by 128 percent since 2019, official figures show.

Health chiefs are now scrambling to stop the spread of the virus, which can be life-threatening if left untreated. Pregnant women can also pass it on to their babies and face an increased risk of miscarriage or stillbirth.

But the symptoms of bacterial infection, which can remain inside the body for decades, are usually mild and can be difficult to detect.

Here MailOnline reveals five warning signs of the disease.

multiple sores

Syphilis, which is most commonly spread through sex, is caused by a bacterium called Treponema pallidum.

The first warning sign is a concave sore, known as a chancre, in the mouth or on the genitals.

Many infected people only develop a sore, which is usually firm and painless.

Chancres usually occur three weeks after being exposed to the bacteria, at the site where the bacteria entered the body.

Jeffrey Klausner, former director of STD Prevention and Control Services at the San Francisco Department of Health, said the washington post that ‘people may not be very aware’ of the telltale symptom of syphilis.

Chancres can last for six weeks and may go away without treatment, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have problems.

Rash on the palms of the hands

If syphilis is not treated, the disease can enter a second stage of infection.

The symptoms of secondary syphilis will begin a few weeks after the sore disappears. This usually consists of a rash.

The NHS describes the rash as “a non-itchy rash that appears anywhere on the body, but commonly on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet.”

The rash can be faint and hard to notice, and can even resemble rashes caused by other conditions, such as psoriasis and eczema, meaning even doctors can miss the signs.

Klausner said that doctors can sometimes misdiagnose syphilis as a viral infection, which, he said, is because: “There are fewer and fewer syphilis experts.”

Inflamed glands

In the early stage of infection, syphilis can also cause “enlarged lymph nodes in the area of ​​the sore,” according to Penn Medicine.

The swollen glands may persist into the second stage, as the bacteria continue to grow.

Swollen glands are a sign that the body is fighting an infection. They usually get better on their own within two weeks, says the NHS.

Common areas where you might notice swollen lymph nodes include the neck, under the chin, armpits, and groin.

Hair loss

Although it is a less common symptom of syphilis, the disease can cause hair loss.

The NHS says it can look like “patchy hair loss on the head, beard and eyebrows”.

According to a 2013 study published in the National Institutes of Health, the frequency of hair loss in secondary syphilis alone ranges from 2.9 to 7 percent.

This most common type of hair loss is a ‘moth-eaten’ pattern and is a non-scarring alopecia that can affect other areas of the scalp.

However, the hair loss is not long-lasting, and according to the study: “Alopecia usually resolves within three months of appropriate treatment for syphilis.”

flu-like symptoms

Another warning sign to look out for is flu-like symptoms, which can persist into the second stage of the infection.

While these symptoms usually go away without treatment, if an infected person is never treated for syphilis, they could enter a third stage of the disease.

The ‘latent stage’, when there are no visible signs or symptoms, can last for years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Tertiary syphilis can occur up to 30 years after a person is infected.

It can be fatal and can affect multiple organ systems, including the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones, and joints.

What are the other signs of syphilis?

At any stage of infection, the disease can invade the nervous system (neurosyphilis), the visual system (ocular syphilis), and the auditory and/or vestibular system (ostosyphilis).

According to the CDCP, signs of neurosyphilis include:

• intense headache;
• problems with muscle movements;
• muscle weakness or paralysis (not being able to move certain parts of the body);
• numbness; and
• mental status changes (trouble concentrating, confusion, personality changes) and/or dementia (problems with memory, thinking, and/or decision making).

Signs of ocular syphilis may include:

• eye pain or redness;
• floating points in the field of view (“floaters”);
• light sensitivity; and
• vision changes (blurred vision or even blindness).

Signs and symptoms of osteosyphilis may include:

• hearing loss;
• ringing, buzzing, roaring, or hissing in the ears (“tinnitus”);
• balance difficulties; and
• dizziness or vertigo

What is syphilis? How is it diagnosed? Can it be treated?

Syphilis is a bacterial infection that is usually contracted by having sex with an infected person.

It is spread through close contact with an infected sore, which usually occurs during vaginal, oral, or anal intercourse.

Infected pregnant women can pass the STI to their unborn babies, which can lead to miscarriages or stillbirths.

Syphilis can also be spread by sharing needles with an infected person.

The symptoms are not always obvious and may eventually disappear.

These could include:

• Small, painless sores or ulcers on the penis, vagina, anus, or around the mouth
• Red, blotchy rashes on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
• Small growths on the skin of the vulva or anus of women
• White patches in the mouth
• Fatigue, headaches, joint pain, fever, and swollen lymph nodes

If left untreated, syphilis can spread to the brain or other parts of the body, causing disability or death.

Treatment is usually an antibiotic injection in the buttocks or a course of tablets.

People can reduce their risk by using condoms during sex, a dental dam (plastic square) during oral sex, and by avoiding sharing sex toys.

Source: NHS Options