syphilis,

Syphilis, infectious disease caused by the spirochete Treponema pallidum (see Bacteria) and usually transmitted by sexual contact or kissing. Infection from contaminated objects is infrequent, because drying quickly kills the organisms. A fetus carried by a woman with syphilis may contract the disease, a condition called congenital syphilis

Paul Ehrlich

Paul Ehrlich
German bacteriologist Paul Ehrlich won the 1908 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine. Ehrlich put forth fundamental theories explaining the chemistry of immunity and developed a number of chemical treatments for diseases.
Authorities believe that syphilis was introduced into Europe in 1493 by crew members returning from Christopher Columbus's first expedition to America; by the 16th century, syphilis had become the major public disease. The spirochete responsible for syphilis was discovered only in 1905, however, by the German zoologist Fritz Schaudinn. In 1906 the German bacteriologist August von Wassermann developed the first blood reaction test for the disease's diagnosis, and in 1909 the German bacteriologist Paul Ehrlich discovered the first effective treatment: the arsenic-containing compound Salvarsan. In 1943 the antibiotic penicillin was shown to be highly effective against syphilis, and it is still the preferred treatment for the disease.
Effective therapy and intensive public-health measures reduced the number of cases reported in the United States from 106,000 in 1947 to 25,500 in 1975, but the number rose again to about 35,500 cases in 1999. During the 1970s most cases of syphilis in men occurred in homosexuals, but the increase in the 1980s appeared to be largely among heterosexuals. This trend increased the incidence of congenital syphilis, which causes a high rate of morbidity and mortality in infants. People who also have acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are more likely to develop serious forms of syphilis and to suffer relapses after treatment that usually would be curative