A sexually transmitted
STD that has been known to be transmitted orally. From the bacteria Treponema estidius, discovered for the first time in
2009 and confirmed in
2011, it is the most recent
STD to be officially documented. Because it is a sexually transmitted disease but has been shown to be transmitted orally approximately
30% of the time, it has become a subject of great interest among researchers.
Although not fatal, symptoms can be severe including genital rashes and pallet warts on the roof of the mouth and smaller sores inside the mouth especially on the gums. Because it has a
long latent stage, however, it can be months before any symptoms develop and early signs
may include mild cold sores and slight
red blotches on the inner thighs. Estus can be treated with antibiotics but the bacteria create spores that can come back weeks after treatment making the antibiotics useful for only short periods of time and not permanent.
