Yaws is an infectious disease that is prevalent among human
populations in the tropical regions. It
is a disfiguring ailment that impacts hundreds of thousands of
individuals. There are not many
fatalities associated with yaws; however, it produces considerable suffering
among those afflicted, especially children.
The primary symptoms include serious skin ulcers especially on the face,
back, buttocks and legs. It has been
reported that approximately 100,000 new cases show up every year, of which 75%
are children. Although most suffers heal
over time with no chronic side effects, about 10% suffer from erosion of
connective tissues including cartilage and bone.
The pathogen responsible for yaws is Treponema pallidum - an
organism closely related to the infectious agent that causes syphilis. However, unlike syphilis, yaws is not
sexually transmitted. Yaws is readily
treated by the use of antibiotics. An
attempt was made in 1952 to completely eradicate this disease using benzathine
penicillin in over 46 countries. As a
result of this intensive effort, disease incidence had dropped by 95 percent,
but by the 1970s, the disease began to return and ultimately reached current
levels.
In 2012, a new plan has emerged, sponsored by the World
Health Organization (WHO), to eradicate the disease – referred to as the Morges
Plan. The ambitious strategy involved is
to use the relatively inexpensive antibiotic azithromycin requiring only one
oral dose. In addition to administering
this drug to those individuals infected, the plan is to include at least 90% of
the population in the infected areas.
This strategy is designed to treat not only those individuals who are
clearly ill but also those with latent infection and who are asymptomatic.
Epidemiologists are hopeful that this scheme might prove
successful, but are also aware of the many obstacles that have to be overcome
including the magnitude of the administrative task involved, the scope of the
project and its cost.
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