Tropical Yaws
Yaws, a tropical infection of the skin, bones and joints is
usually caused by the bacterium spirochete. Yaws is easily and
quickly transmitted by skin contact with infected individuals.
The Bacteria enters through an existing cut or similar damage to
the skin. Usually less than a month but within ninety days of
infection with Yaws a painless but vivid "Parent Yaw", an
ulcerous papule appears on the surface of the skin at the point
of entry. This Ulcer is described to have the color of a
rasberry and is about 15-45mm in diameter. This initial Ulcer
can last for up to nine months and other ulcers will appear on
skin as the previous one heals.
If left untreated a secondary stage of Yaws will occur after up
to four months. This second stage is marked by more ulcers
similar to the first one in appearance, although much smaller.
These growths can combine together into a thick fissured plaque.
These fissured plaques can occur on the feet and induce a
distinctive gait. Secondary growths of Yaws are irreversible.
In approximately 10-20% cases of yaws the disease can progress
for over a decade or more to a tertiary stage. This tertiary
stage will have destructive lesions to the skin and to the
bones. The largest group afflicted by yaws are
children aged 5 to 11 years in Latin America, the Caribbean
Islands, India, West Africa, Oceania and Southeast Asia. Numbers
of Yaws outbreaks have been increasing over the past years
since, the World Health Organization (WHO) funded campaigns
against yaws in 1954 to 1963.
Yaws is easily identified from blood tests or by a microscopic
examination of a lesion. Treatment for Yaws is by a single dose
of penicillin, erythromycin or tetracycline. It is very oncommon
for a victim to have recurrence or a relapse.