Penicillin treatment of syphilis: clearing away the shadow on the land

Douglas comments on a study by Mahoney and colleagues that examines the response of syphilis to treatment with penicillin. He argues that the articles by Mahoney et al represent a landmark event in the control of a major infectious disease and their efforts capped a 50-year era of investigation into therapeutic approaches during which time 3 scientists whose work produced new treatments for syphilis were awarded Nobel Prizes and also launched the modern era of syphilis control with its many successes and setbacks. Moreover, Douglas cites several confronting challenges in addressing the syphilis problem. One of those challenges is the inadequate use of existing prevention tools in many settings, with the global inability to control congenital syphilis a glaring example.