Yaws: Causes, Symptoms, Daignosis, Prevention and Treatment

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Yaws
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Yaws

• Yaws is a chronic contagious non-venereal
  disease which belongs to a group of chronic
  bacterial infections (endemic treponematoses,
  nonvenereal spirochetal diseases) that is caused
  by treponemes.Yaws is the most common of all
  and occurs basically in the hot, humid and
  tropical areas of Africa, Central and South
  America, the Caribbean, Indian peninsula and the
  equatorial islands of South-East Asia.Generally
  yaws is caused by Treponema pallidum subspecies
  pertenue. Yaws is not a fatal disease, but it
  causes disabilities and visible deformities of
  the face and extremities further contributing to
  stigma and discrimination.It affects the skin,
  bone and cartilage if left untreated it can lead
  to disorders of the nose and bones of the leg.
  However, the disease can be cured and prevented
  by a single dose of antibiotics.

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Causes of Yaws

• Yaws is caused by Treponema pertenue which
  closely resembles to T.pallidium. It is a slender
  spirochete that is serologically
  indistinguishable from the spirochete T.pallidium
  which causes syphilis. The agents found in the
  epidermis of the lesions, lymph glands, spleen
  and bone marrow. The organism rapidly dies
  outside the tissues.Reservoir of infection -
  Man is the only known reservoir of yaws. Clinical
  lesions relapse 2-3 times or more during the
  first 5 years of infections and serve as source
  for new infections.The most latent cases are
  found in clusters centered on an infectious case.
  

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Causes of Yaws
Continue

• There are frequent relapses in latent
  casesTransmission - Yaws is transferred via
  direct (person-to-person), non-sexual contact
  with the fluid from the lesion of an infected
  person to an uninfected persons via minor
  injuries.Most lesions occur on the limbs. The
  initial lesion of yaws is filled with the
  bacteria. The incubation period is 990 days
  (average 21 days).About 75 of people affected
  from yaws are children under 15 years old (peak
  incidence occurs in children aged 610 years).
  Males and females are equally affected.

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Diagnosis of Yaws

• Yaws simulates the lesions of scabies, impetigo,
  skin tuberculosis, tinea versicolor, tropical
  ulcer, leprosy and psoriasis. It may also
  accompany these diseases. Penicillin treatment is
  very useful in differential diagnosis because of
  miraculous relief seen in yaws but not in other
  skin diseases.Most latent and incubating cases
  are found in clusters around an infectious case
  and can usually be diagnosed by epidemiological
  tracing.

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Symptoms of Yaws

• There are two basic stages of yaws early
  (infectious) and late (non-infectious).In the
  starting phase of yaws, an initial papilloma (a
  circular, solid swelling on the skin, with no
  visible fluid) is developed at the site of entry
  of the bacterium. This papilloma is full of
  organisms and may persist for 36 months followed
  by natural healing. Nocturnal bone pain and bone
  lesions may also occur in the early stage. These
  primary skin lesions (Early Yaws) usually occur
  in children and adolescents in endemic
  areas.Late yaws appears after 5 years of the
  initial infection and is characterized by
  disfigurement of the nose and bones, and
  thickening and cracking of the palms of the hand
  and soles of the feet. These complications on the
  soles of the feet make it difficult for patients
  to walk. Late yaws are non-infectious but may
  make a person disabled.

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