Treponema Pertenue Yaws

by Joel Kim

 Yaws is a contagious tropical disease. This disease is widely distributed throughout the tropical regions of the world. Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America are a few tropical regions in the world. Yaws is a common disease of children in the tropics. It is caused by the spiral-shaped bacterium called Treponema pertenue. Yaws begins when the bacterium penetrates the skin at a spot where it was scraped or cut. Contaminated clothing and flies also transfer it. Treponema pertenue, the bacterium that causes Yaws, can’t penetrate into unbroken skin. It also can’t pass through the placenta.

Although Yaws is rarely fatal, if it is untreated, it may lead to more horrible results than the treated bodies. In order to prevent that from happening is to carefully explore some of the symptoms. After the bacterium has "penetrated" into the skin, within a period of 3 to 4 weeks, a swelling appears near the infection. This might generate some pus and then heal. During the time of healing, soft swellings appear on the lips, elbows, buttocks, and knees. They are very contagious, but infrequently produce any irritation. However, the soft swellings may affect some bones, especially in the hands and feet. This causes a limp in children. By the time the soft swellings are healed, there is an interval of several years before any other symptoms appear or occur. When the interval has passed, nodules appear on the skin. They usually ulcerate and affect some of the underlying tissues. Because the ulcers heal very slowly, they often form scars that are very deformed. The bones also become very miss-shaped and there may be shortening of the ligaments in the joints. However, central nervous system, cardiac, or other visceral are rarely affected.

The best way to treat this tropical disease known as Treponema pertenue yaws is to cure it with a specific antibiotic that is called penicillin. But, if anyone is allergic to penicillin, they can be treated with other antibiotics like erythromycin or tetracycline. Although, surgery may be necessary to correct any bones that are deformed and ligaments that are shortened due to the disease.

Vocabulary:

  1. Nodules - a small mass of tissues or aggression of cells.
  2. Ulcerate – to develop a lesion of the skin.
  3. Cardiac – near, or relating to the heart.
  4. Visceral – affecting the soft internal organs, intestines.
Bibliography:

Lawrence Tierney, Stephen McPhee, and Maxine Papadakis. Current Medical

Diagnosis and Treatment. Connecticut: Simon and Schuster, 1998.

"Yaws" Encyclopedia Encarta. 1997.

"Yaws" Online. Available http:/www.medicinenet.com 12 April. 2000

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