Yaws is an infection caused by the spiral-shaped bacterium (spirochete) called Treponema pertenue that is closely related to the organism that causes syphilis -- yet is not sexually transmitted. Yaws is primarily an illness involving children in rural, warm, tropical areas -- primarily Caribbean Islands, Latin America, west Africa, India and southeast Asia.
Yaws is transmitted by direct contact with skin lesions of infected people -- and not by sexual contact. Approximately 2 to 4 weeks after infection, the child develops a sore "mother yaw" where the organism entered the skin. The sore appears as "raspberry-like" growth or group of papules at the site of infection and is usually painless. These lesions may persist for months. Additional satellite lesions may appear shortly before or after healing of the mother yaw. Children may also develop inflammation of the bones and fingers. The final stage occurs in up to 20% of untreated individuals and involves destructive lesions of the skin and bones which can lead to severe disfigurement and disability.
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