title: Yaws: 110 years after Castellani's discovery of Treponema pallidum subspecies pertenue.
abstract: Yaws is a neglected infectious disease that affects mostly children and adolescents living in poor, rural communities in humid, tropical areas of Africa, southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands. The etiological agent of yaws, Treponema pallidum subspecies pertenue (T. pertenue), was discovered by Aldo Castellani in 1905 shortly after Schaudinn and Hoffmann discovered the etiological agent of syphilis, T. pallidum subspecies pallidum. The discovery of T. pertenue enabled the development of animal models and the identification of an effective antibiotic treatment (i.e., penicillin) for yaws. A World Health Organization (WHO) mass treatment campaign from 1952 to 1964 reduced the global burden of yaws by 95%, but failed to eradicate this disease. Today, 110 years after Castellani's discovery of T. pertenue, yaws is again targeted for eradication. Recent advances in the treatment and diagnosis of yaws improve the likelihood of success this time. However, several challenges must be overcome to make the goal of yaws eradication attainable.
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Program in Infectious Diseases, Michael Hooker Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina lstamm@email.unc.edu.
authors: Lola V
authors: LV
authors: Stamm
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D060740:Disease Eradication; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D058069:Neglected Diseases; D010406:Penicillins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014210:Treponema pallidum; D015001:Yaws / Q000266:history* / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010406:Penicillins