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:
-
Nodules - a
small mass of tissues or aggression of cells.
-
Ulcerate – to
develop a lesion of the skin.
-
Cardiac – near,
or relating to the heart.
-
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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