Diagnosis
Primary infections is a pruritic papule with tender regional lymphadenopathy.
Secondary yaws involves the skin, bone, and cartilage; occasionally they ulcerate. Periostitis.
Late lesions are hyperkeratotic plaque destructive bony destructive lesions, or gummata.
The diagnosis is made clinically and syphilis serologies will be positive.
Epidemiologic Risks
Person to person.
Found in Africa, Asia, and the South Pacific (PubMed).
Microbiology
Treponema pallidum subsp. pertenue, a spirochete.
Empiric Therapy
Benzathine penicillin G 1.2 million units x one.
A single po dose of azithromycin is also effective (PubMed).
Pearls
"Examination of remains of Homo erectus from Kenya, that are about 1.6 million years old, has revealed signs typical of yaws. The genetic analysis of the yaws' causative bacteria—Treponema pallidum pertenue—has led to the conclusion that yaws is the most ancient of the four known Treponema diseases. All other Treponema pallidum subspecies probably evolved from Treponema pallidum pertenue. Yaws is believed to have originated in tropical areas of Africa, and spread to other tropical areas of the world via immigration and the slave trade (WikiPedia)."
Where I grew up in NE Portland, there was a restaurant named Yaws. I wonder now just what was in a Yaws Burger.
Last Update: 03/24/19.