4 ms·

Is it possible that this is not a case of systemic syphilis, but more of a case of... ahem... selective aim?

chiefalchemist 3y ago
Funny. But I don't think it works that way. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/syphilis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351756 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/syphilis/symp...
retrac 3y ago
Syphilis is not transferred in the semen like that. It is transferred directly. From bacteria on the skin, pressed against the skin or, more often, a mucous membrane. In the initial stage there's usually a skin ulceration which is infectious. In later stages, it's rather generalized (e.g. anywhere a rash or blistering occurs may be able to pass the infection on). It's probably best thought of as a close-contact or mucous-membrane-contact disease. Nonsexual contact is known to pass it. There are closely related diseases [1] [2] [3] that can be passed non-sexually. The eye is one of the places where a primary ulcer shows up - but it's rarely the first site. To have it show up there repeatedly suggests the possibility of an unusual sexual practice yes. Probably more like rubbing the body then the face with the hands than what you were thinking. But that should have come up when they questioned the five women. The hypothesis presented seems plausible: a subtype evolved to be particularly fond of the eyes. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonvenereal_endemic_syphilis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonvenereal_endemic_syphilis [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaws https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaws [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinta_(disease) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinta_(disease)
- polishdude20 3y ago
  Could it ride out on a drop of sweat?
- darkclouds 3y ago
  [dead]
- pavel_lishin 3y ago
  Huh, I didn't know that! I thought it was transferred via fluids, like most other STDs that I'm aware of. Thanks!
black_13 3y ago
[dead]
robga 3y ago
Diseases like this typically internally spread out along the ophthalmic division of the fifth (trigeminal) cranial nerve, having breached the blood-barrier rather than the blood-ocular barrier. To have it show up in the eye repeatedly may simply indicate it’s travelled back down the nerve. The pathway is not even rare, so I wonder what is newsworthy here. e.g. 500k Americans live with herpes simplex keratitis (or “eye herpes”) though many don’t realise, and you don’t see that on HN frontpage.

Funny. But I don't think it works that way. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/syphilis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351756 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/syphilis/symp...

retrac 3y ago

Syphilis is not transferred in the semen like that. It is transferred directly. From bacteria on the skin, pressed against the skin or, more often, a mucous membrane. In the initial stage there's usually a skin ulceration which is infectious. In later stages, it's rather generalized (e.g. anywhere a rash or blistering occurs may be able to pass the infection on). It's probably best thought of as a close-contact or mucous-membrane-contact disease. Nonsexual contact is known to pass it. There are closely related diseases [1] [2] [3] that can be passed non-sexually. The eye is one of the places where a primary ulcer shows up - but it's rarely the first site. To have it show up there repeatedly suggests the possibility of an unusual sexual practice yes. Probably more like rubbing the body then the face with the hands than what you were thinking. But that should have come up when they questioned the five women. The hypothesis presented seems plausible: a subtype evolved to be particularly fond of the eyes. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonvenereal_endemic_syphilis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonvenereal_endemic_syphilis [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaws https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaws [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinta_(disease) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinta_(disease)

polishdude20 3y ago
Could it ride out on a drop of sweat?
darkclouds 3y ago
[dead]
pavel_lishin 3y ago
Huh, I didn't know that! I thought it was transferred via fluids, like most other STDs that I'm aware of. Thanks!

black_13 3y ago

[dead]

robga 3y ago

Diseases like this typically internally spread out along the ophthalmic division of the fifth (trigeminal) cranial nerve, having breached the blood-barrier rather than the blood-ocular barrier. To have it show up in the eye repeatedly may simply indicate it’s travelled back down the nerve. The pathway is not even rare, so I wonder what is newsworthy here. e.g. 500k Americans live with herpes simplex keratitis (or “eye herpes”) though many don’t realise, and you don’t see that on HN frontpage.