Before asking what does syphilis look like first you should know that the infection is caused by a bacterium.

In the majority of the cases the infection is transmitted through sexual contact. It manifests on the skin, genitals and mucus membranes, but it could also affect other parts of the body.

Features of syphilis

As it has been mentioned before the culprit in case of this dreadful disease is bacterium that reaches the body through scrapes or cuts in the mucus membranes or the skin. It is transmitted through sexual activity when the infected person has an open sore in the genital area.

what-does-syphilis-look-likeWhen it comes to the syphilis features it is also good to know that it can be transmitted through blood transfusions, kissing and mothers can also pass it to their child during birth.

The bacteria cannot survive outside the body and this is why it can only be transmitted directly.


If you are asking what does syphilis look like it is good to know that the symptoms appear according to the four different stages of the illness.

The first stage is known as the primary stage. During this time there will be a small sore called chancre formed where the bacteria entered the body for the first time.

In case you are looking for the signs of syphilis the first place to look for this sore should be on the genitals, tongue, lips or rectum.

Although there could be more than one sore, usually there is only one. In this stage it is also possible for the lymph nodes to get swollen.


The people interested in what does syphilis look like should know that it is possible that in the second stage there will be reddish sores and rashes developed in different parts of the body. They could appear even on the palms of your hand and the soles of your feet. Most patients feel tired and have a fever.

As a result of the syphilis signs you may start to feel sore and the joints could start to ache. The symptoms can come and go for a year. It is even possible that they will completely disappear for a year or so. Nonetheless that doesn’t mean that the infection is also gone.


Now that you know more about what does syphilis look like it is also important to consider the third stage that is also known as the latent stage. In some cases the symptoms could entirely disappear in this period. Others may make a faster transition towards the fourth stage known as the tertiary stage.

When thinking about the symptoms of syphilis keep in mind that in this final stage the bacteria could travel to other organs as well and that could even lead to death. The bacteria could attack the heart or brain or even both leading to strokes, heart disease, paralysis, dementia or other neurological issues and conditions.

Now you know the answer to the question what does syphilis look like.