GLOSSARY OF KEY TERMS 
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syphilis - a contagious disease caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. 
It is mainly spread through sexual contact and is characterized by both recog- 
nizable and unrecognizable sores. 
syphilomata (plural of syphiloma) - a tumor caused by infection with 
syphilis. 
syphilologist — a physician who specializes in the study of syphilis. 
Treponema pallidum - the bacterium that causes syphilis. 
tuberculosis — a bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; 
characterized by coughing up blood, weakness and fatigue, fever, chills, and 
night sweats. 
typhus - a potentially lethal disease transmitted through fleas and lice, 
caused by a type of bacteria. 
urethra - canal that removes urine from the bladder and, in men, also allows 
for the passage of semen out of the body. 
vector - an organism, such as a mosquito, that transmits a disease-causing 
pathogen. 
zoonotic pathogen - an infection of a human from an animal source. 
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