What is a positive syphilis test?
Serological test for syphilis enzyme immunoassay (STS-EIA). It tests for syphilis antibodies. If it is positive, this could mean that you’ve had syphilis in the past, or that you have it now. It could also be a false positive. The sample will be sent for two more tests, including one to confirm the positive result.
What is a false positive for syphilis?
A false-positive test for syphilis means that the test is abnormal (or positive) despite the absence of syphilis. Another test (called the FTA) can rule out or confirm syphilis if the first screening test (called the RPR) is positive.
How do you read a syphilis titer?
A presumptive diagnosis is based on the presence of typical rash and reactive non-treponemal tests in a titer ≥1:8 in a patient with no previous history of syphilis. If history of syphilis is present, then the criteria should be a fourfold rise in titer.
What does Treponema pallidum test for?
The FTA-ABS test is a blood test to detect antibodies to the bacteria Treponema pallidum, which causes syphilis. This test is used when a screening test for syphilis is positive to confirm that there is a true infection.
Can a normal blood test detect syphilis?
Blood tests can tell if your body is making the antibodies to fight the infection. The ones that fight syphilis bacteria can stay in your body for years, so your doctor can tell if you were infected, even if it were a long time ago. They can also diagnose syphilis by testing fluid from a sore. That’s rarely done.
Can a blood test for syphilis be wrong?
The RPR test also can produce false-positive results, suggesting you have syphilis when you actually don’t. One reason for a false positive is the presence of another disease that produces antibodies similar to the ones produced during a syphilis infection.
What is a high syphilis titer?
A positive RPR test should be followed by another type of test to diagnose syphilis. If you have been treated for syphilis in the past, an RPR test that shows a titer increase of fourfold means you likely have a new syphilis infection if you were not fully treated in the past.
What do syphilis titers mean?
A titer is a measure of the amount of antibody formed in response to syphilis. • Titers decline after proper treatment over a period of months to years.
Is syphilis a virus?
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The signs and symptoms of syphilis vary depending in which of the four stages it presents (primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary).
What are the signs of syphilis in females?
You may feel sick and have mild flu-like symptoms, like a slight fever, feeling tired, sore throat, swollen glands, headache, and muscle aches. You can also have sores in your mouth, vagina, or anus, and weight or hair loss.