treponematosis

Treponematosis refers to any disease caused by treponemata, which are a genus of spirochete bacteria. The most well-known treponemal disease is syphilis, caused by Treponema pallidum. Syphilis is primarily a sexually transmitted disease, but can also be transmitted non-sexually or from mother to fetus.12

Other treponemal infections, collectively known as nonvenereal syphilis, are not sexually transmitted and include yaws, bejel, and pinta. These are typically found in warmer climates and spread through direct contact, often affecting children and young adults. While syphilis can cause severe long-term damage to the nervous and cardiovascular systems, nonvenereal forms rarely lead to serious systemic issues and are generally not fatal. All treponemal infections are treatable with penicillin or other antibiotics.2