Letter to the editor: Apple down 152 putative syphilis: pre-Colombian date confirmed

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is a severe tick-borne illness caused by Rickettsia rickettsii, a Gram-negative, coccobacillary bacterium. This pathogen is an obligate intracellular parasite, requiring a host cell for replication. Transmission occurs through the bite of an infected tick. In the United States, the most important vectors are Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick) and Dermacentor andersoni (Rocky Mountain wood tick), though other tick species may also serve as vectors.

Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted infection primarily caused by herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), though herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is increasingly implicated in genital infections, particularly among younger populations. Transmission occurs mainly through sexual contact, with asymptomatic viral shedding serving as a major route of spread. This characteristic makes HSV-2 difficult to control at a population level, as individuals may unknowingly transmit the virus even in the...

Chagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is a vector-borne parasitic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a flagellated protozoan (kinetoplastid) of the family Trypanosomatidae. The disease is endemic in Latin America, although cases are increasingly reported worldwide due to human migration. Transmission most commonly occurs when feces of infected triatomine bugs contaminate bite wounds or mucosal surfaces; additional routes include congenital, transfusional, transplant-related, and oral...