Yaws, also known as frambesia or piã, is an infectious disease that affects the skin, bones and cartilage. This disease is more common in tropical countries like Brazil, for example, and affects children under 15 years of age, especially between the ages of 6 and 10 years.
The cause of yaws is an infection caused by the bacterium Treponema pertenue , a subspecies of the bacteria that causes syphilis. However, yaws are not a sexually transmitted disease, nor do they cause long-term cardiovascular problems like syphilis.
How to get and transmission
Transmission is by direct contact with an individual's infected skin and develops in 3 stages:
- Primary stage: After 3-5 weeks after contact with an infected individual, a skin lesion called "mother burr" appears on the child, similar to a nodule or mole, with a yellowish crust, which increases in size, taking a shape similar to a raspberry. In the region there may be itching and swelling of the lymph nodes. It usually disappears after 6 months. Secondary stage: It appears a few weeks after the first stage of the yaws and is characterized by the appearance of hard lesions on the skin of the face, arms, legs, buttocks and soles, which make walking difficult. At this stage there is also swelling of the lymph nodes and problems can arise in the bones that cause bone pain at night. Late stage: It appears about 5 years after the infection starts and causes severe injuries to the skin, bones and joints, causing pain in movements. At this stage, the yaws can also lead to the destruction of parts of the nose, upper jaw, roof of the mouth and pharynx, disfiguring the individual's face.
Yaws are curable and rarely fatal, but individuals can have severe deficiencies in the body when they do not perform the treatment properly.
Signals and symptons
Yaws symptoms can be:
- Yellowish skin wounds, grouped in a raspberry shape; Itchy wound sites; Lumps in the neck, groin and armpits due to swollen lymph nodes; Pain in bones and joints; Painful skin wounds and sole of the feet; Swelling of the face and disfigurement when the infection started years ago, without any treatment.
The diagnosis is made based on the analysis of symptoms, physical examination and recent history of travel to hot places with poor sanitation. To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor may order a blood test called an antibiogram, to identify the presence of the bacteria that causes this disease.
Treatment
The treatment of yaws consists of the use of penicillin injection, given in several doses, depending on the patient's age and the doctor's prescription. If you are allergic to penicillin, the patient can take erythromycin, tetracycline hydrochloride or azithromycin.
Primary and secondary stage injuries can heal completely, but the destructive changes that can include loss of the nose can be irreversible.
