SYPHILIS STRIP

Treponema Pallidum (TP) is the causative agent of the venereal disease Syphilis. TPis a spirochete bacterium with an outer envelope and a cytoplasmic membrane. Relatively little is known about the organism in comparison with other bacterial pathogens. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the number of cases of Syphilis infection has markedly increased since 1985. Some key factors contributing to this rise include the crack cocaine epidemic and the high incidence of prostitution among drug users. One study reported a substantial epidemiological correlation between the acquisition and transmission of HIV and Syphilis. Multiple clinical stages and long periods of latent, asymptomatic infection are characteristic of Syphilis. Primary Syphilis is defined by the presence of a chancre at the injection site. The antibody response to the TPbacterium can be detected within 4 to 7 days after the chancre appears. The infection remains detectable until the patient receives adequate treatment. The Syphilis Ultra Rapid Test Strip (Serum/ Plasma) utilizes a double antigen combination of a Syphilis antigen coated particle and Syphilis antigen immobilized on the membrane to detect TP antibodies (IgG and IgM) qualitatively and selectively in serum or plasma.