Introduction

Treponema Pallidum (TP) is the causative agent of the venereal disease Syphilis. TP is 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 that have contributed 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 the HIV virus 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 site of inoculation. The antibodies response to the TP bacterium can be detected within 4 to 7 days after the chancre appears. The infection remains detectable until the patient receives adequate treatment. SyphiGnost ULTRA Test Panel utilizes a double antigen combination of a Syphilis antigen coated particle and Syphilis antigen immobilized on membrane to detect TP antibodies (IgG and IgM) qualitatively and selectively in serum or plasma.