next front |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |6 |7 |8 |9 |10 |11 |12 |13 |14 |15 |16 |17 |18 |19 |20 |21 |22 |23 |24 |25 |26 |27 |28 |29 |review
This woodcut by Albrecht Durer points to the fact that syphilis was as much a significant health problem in the 15th century as it is today.

Syphilis has often been called "the great imitator" because so many of the signs and symptoms are indistinguishable from those of other diseases.

In 1998, approximately 38,000 cases of syphilis were reported in the U.S., including 7,000 cases of primary and secondary syphilis and 800 cases of congenital syphilis in newborns. It occurred primarily in persons aged 20 to 39 and slightly more frequently in males than in females. 80% of the cases were found in African-Americans (CDC, October, 1999).