What is Yaws?

Yaws is a chronic infectious disease caused by the bacterium Treponema pertenue. It primarily affects the skin, bones, and cartilage and is common in tropical regions with poor sanitation. The disease mainly affects children and spreads through direct skin contact.

What Causes Yaws?

Bacterial Infection – Caused by Treponema pertenue, a spirochete bacterium related to the one causing syphilis.
Transmission – Spread through direct skin-to-skin contact with infectious lesions, especially among children in endemic areas.
Risk Factors – Poor hygiene, crowded living conditions, and warm, humid climates.

Symptoms of Yaws

Yaws progresses through stages with different symptoms:

Primary Stage – Begins with a painless, reddish bump or sore (called a “mother yaw”) at the site of infection, usually on the legs, arms, or face.
Secondary Stage – Weeks later, multiple skin lesions appear, which can be scaly, crusted, or ulcerated.
Late Stage – If untreated, it can cause chronic skin ulcers, bone deformities, and destruction of cartilage, especially in the nose and legs.
Other Signs – Swollen lymph nodes, fever, and general malaise.

How is Yaws Diagnosed?

Clinical Examination – Based on characteristic skin and bone lesions in endemic areas.
Laboratory Tests – Blood tests such as rapid plasma reagin (RPR) or Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test, and dark-field microscopy to detect the bacteria.
Radiological Imaging – May be used to identify bone involvement.

How is Yaws Treated?

Antibiotics – Single-dose intramuscular injection of benzathine penicillin is the standard treatment.
Alternative Treatments – Oral azithromycin may be used in penicillin-allergic patients.
Wound Care – Proper care of skin ulcers to prevent secondary infections.
Community Treatment – Mass treatment campaigns in endemic areas to control spread.

Prognosis of Yaws

With timely antibiotic treatment, yaws is completely curable.
Without treatment, it can cause permanent disfigurement and disability.
Reinfection can occur in endemic areas.

Can Yaws Be Prevented?

Hygiene – Improving sanitation and personal hygiene reduces transmission.
Public Health Measures – Mass antibiotic treatment and health education in affected communities.
Avoiding Contact – Minimizing direct skin contact with infected individuals.