We read with interest the recently published report "Molecular typing of Treponema pallidum: Identification of a new sequence oftp0548 gene in Shandong, China" published in Sexually Transmitted Diseases (Vol. 41, No. 9, September 2014) by Tian et al. The authors mapped the diversity of Treponema pallidum ssp. pallidum isolates in Shandong, China, using the enhanced Centers for Disease Control and Prevention typing scheme23 and discovered a new sequence variant in the tp0548 locus that was designated type "k". At the same time, a molecular typing study of syphilis-causing strains isolated in 2011 to 2013 in the Czech Republic published by Grillova et al.4 also identified a new tp0548 sequence variant. By coincidence, caused by almost the same publication dates, this sequence type was also designated type k. However, both tp0548 k types published by Tian et al.1 and Grillova et al. differ in their sequences.