Editing Treponema pallidum (section)

===Syphilis===
{{Main|Syphilis}}
''Treponema pallidum pallidum'' is a motile spirochete that is generally acquired by close [[sexually transmitted disease|sexual contact]], entering the host via breaches in squamous or columnar [[epithelium]]. The organism can also be transmitted to a fetus by [[placenta|transplacental]] passage during the later stages of pregnancy, giving rise to congenital syphilis.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Arora N, Sadovsky Y, Dermody TS, Coyne CB |title=Microbial Vertical Transmission during Human Pregnancy |journal=Cell Host Microbe |volume=21 |issue=5 |pages=561–7 |date=May 2017 |pmid=28494237 |pmc=6148370 |doi=10.1016/j.chom.2017.04.007 }}</ref> The helical structure of ''T. p. pallidum'' allows it to move in a corkscrew motion through mucous membranes or enter minuscule breaks in the skin. In women, the initial lesion is usually on the labia, the walls of the vagina, or the cervix; in men, it is on the shaft or glans of the penis.<ref name="NBK7716" /> It gains access to the host's blood and lymph systems through tissue and mucous membranes. In more severe cases, it may gain access to the host by infecting the skeletal bones and central nervous system of the body.<ref name="NBK7716"/>

The incubation period for a ''T. p. pallidum'' infection is usually around 21 days, but can range from 10 to 90 days.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-10 |title=Syphilis |url=https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/patient-information/conditions-treated-a-to-z/syphilis |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=www.pennmedicine.org}}</ref>