syphilis – Learning, Science and Society

Syphilis, that terror of the early modern age, is back. Almost eliminated in the 1990s, by 2022 here were 200 000 cases in the US alone. And, if you are not worried start now. Because this is waht it does according to this short extract from Jessica Glenza of the Guardian [1]

“More advanced stages of the disease can bring feared complications, such as neurosyphilis, with dementia-like effects, or ocular syphilis that can cause blindness. Congenital syphilis, when the disease is passed from mother to child, is a special horror: the disease can cause death and neurological devastation in infants.“

How have we let it get out of control, and rather more pertinently, what can be done about it? The first is easy to answer: neglect of medical services to pay for tax cuts, and the general concentration on the narcissistic rewards of a consumer society. The latter is rather more interesting. And it sits across many of the concerns we raise on these pages, such as antibiotics, testing, new DNA based technologies and all the other things we admit we bang on about too often(no wonder we never get invited to parties) And frankly, Jessica’s article is a tour de force from which you will learn much about these many subjects, gentle readers.

While not wishing to spoil her article, which you must read, we’ll leave you with this particular thought. There is an antibiotic available: Bicillin L-A. But waht happens if it runs out, or significant resistance to it develop?. We suggest that you keep monitoring these pages.

[1]https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/10/syphilis-sti-testing

#syhilis #std #antibiotic resistance #testing #health #medicine #dna

The Renaissance brought us massive advances in learning. In Art, the Humanities, in Science and Trade, to name but a few. It also brought us a massive upswing in Sexually Transmitted Diseases. In Europe, Syphilis seems to have started among the troops of Charles VIII of France, who were besieging Naples in 1494. And spread like a forest fire in a drought thereafter. Gonorrhoea seems to have got its big break in the region of Les Clapiers in Paris around the middle of the sixteenth century. [1] Anyway, this wonderful link to Wikipedia will tell you all you want to know.

And STDs certainly haven’t gone away. In both the US and the UK, rates of syphilis have been rising drastically, as this article from the astute Jonathan Neal of the Daily Mail makes clear.[2] But instead of wringing his hands, Jonathan looks possible responses, and , as all good LSS readers will be cheered to discove , from an antibiotics perspective. As some of you will already know, our chief frontline weapon at the moment is doxycycline. Instead of a long course of post- infection antibiotics, why not hit ’em hard, the morning straight after, with a massive pill of the stuff? So say some experts. But there’s always a catch, as Jonathan points out. As you will have guessed, it’s our old friend antibiotic resistance. Which, according to Jonathan’s experts, is already climbing fast among gonorrhoea patients. So what is to be done?

For us at LSS, the conclusion is clear. All public health problems require a mosaic response. Public education, scientific resources, trained staff and above all someone to co-ordinate everyone else are vital. And in a deeper way , that’s true of a lot of other things. Syphilis, like climate change or migration, knows no nations and no borders. Anyone for a World Government?

[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexually_transmitted_infection

[2]https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-13095693/This-STI-morning-pill-beat-rising-rates-potentially-life-threatening-syphilis-UK.html

#antibiotics #antibiotic resistance #syphilis #gonorrhoea #STD #public health #jonathan Neal

Tag: syphilis

Syphilis is Back. We need new tools

Sexually Transmitted Diseases-new tools needed