Syphilis Variant(s)

[viking8x6]

@Shotsfired mentioned in another thread the appearance of a new Syphilis variant,

Quote

I'd be more worried about Syphilis, as there is a new variant that presents in the spinal fluid and it's harder to detect and treat.

I'd like to have more information about this, as I had not heard of it before. I did some Googling but was unable to find anything that matched that description. Were you referring to the Finnish variant that appeared around 2019?

[Ctpigdaddy]

Earlier this year I learned that 30+ years ago I contracted syphilis and was apparently contagious for a short period before it went dormant in my body. It re-awakened with a vengeance in March of this year (2023) as neuro-syphilis (it was in my spinal fluid) and has left me blind in my left eye with an associated degree of brain damage. I have been going for routine hiv/std testing for 40+ years and had always assumed syphilis testing was included in standard std testing. When I was diagnosed, I was informed that “the medical community” did not consider syphilis to be a sufficient threat to gay & bi males so, unless I or my doctor had specifically requested the test, I was never tested for it. The painful thing is that had I been tested, it could have been easily treated with penicillin and I would not have suffered vision loss or brain injury. Request the test. 

[KatrinaSassy2019]

Yeah thats stage 3. Its still treatable with penicillen. But any damage is perminant

[viking8x6]

7 hours ago, Ctpigdaddy said:

When I was diagnosed, I was informed that “the medical community” did not consider syphilis to be a sufficient threat to gay & bi males so, unless I or my doctor had specifically requested the test, I was never tested for it.

In what benighted corner of the globe is that?!? Testing for syphilis was certainly standard practice 25 years ago where I was.

Very sorry to hear this awful story. In your shoes, I seriously would talk to a lawyer about a malpractice suit.