One dose of antibiotic treats early syphilis as well as three doses, clinical trial shows

Researchers have found that a single injection of the antibiotic benzathine penicillin G (BPG) successfully treated early syphilis just as well as the three-injection regimen used by many clinicians in the United States and elsewhere. These findings from a late-stage clinical trial suggest the second and third doses of conventional BPG therapy do not provide a health benefit. Syphilis is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. Without treatment, syphilis can result in neurological and organ damage as well as severe pregnancy complications and congenital abnormalities. Syphilis can also increase a person's likelihood of acquiring...