Vicar Ezekiel K, Simpson Shirley V, Mensah Gloria I, Addo Kennedy K, Donkor Eric S
Department of Clinical Microbiology, University for Development Studies, Tamale P.O. Box TL 1350, Ghana.
Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra P.O. Box GP 4236, Ghana.
Diseases. 2025 Jan 14;13(1):14. doi: 10.3390/diseases13010014.
Yaws is an infectious, neglected tropical disease that affects the skin of many children and adolescents who live in poor, rural, low-income communities in humid, tropical areas of Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands. Yaws is currently endemic in at least 15 countries, but adequate surveillance data are lacking. In line with the WHO's effort to improve early detection, diagnosis, and proper management leading to the eventual eradication of yaws, this article reviews the existing literature on yaws in Africa to highlight the epidemiological pattern, genetic variability, diagnosis modalities, treatment, and control strategies, the challenges and prospects for yaws eradication. : We searched PubMed and Scopus databases to identify published data in line with the review objectives. One hundred and eighty-eight peer-reviewed articles were identified by PubMed and Scopus, out of which thirty were eligible. The studies covered 11 African countries, with the reported prevalence ranging from 0.50% to 43.0%. : There is a great prospect for eradication if countries capitalize on the availability of simple, inexpensive, and well-tolerated oral treatment that has proven effective, validated point-of-care diagnostic tests and new molecular tests. Countries should embark on integrated disease control efforts to increase sustainability and improve the quality of life for people living with this NTD in poor communities.
雅司病是一种传染性被忽视热带病，影响着许多生活在非洲、东南亚和太平洋岛屿潮湿热带地区贫困农村低收入社区的儿童和青少年的皮肤。雅司病目前在至少15个国家呈地方性流行，但缺乏充分的监测数据。为配合世界卫生组织改善早期发现、诊断和妥善管理以最终根除雅司病的努力，本文回顾了非洲关于雅司病的现有文献，以突出其流行病学模式、基因变异性、诊断方式、治疗和控制策略，以及根除雅司病的挑战和前景。我们检索了PubMed和Scopus数据库，以识别符合综述目标的已发表数据。PubMed和Scopus识别出188篇同行评议文章，其中30篇符合条件。这些研究覆盖了11个非洲国家，报告的患病率从0.50%到43.0%不等。如果各国利用已证明有效的简单、廉价且耐受性良好的口服治疗方法、经过验证的即时诊断检测和新的分子检测方法，根除雅司病有很大的前景。各国应开展综合疾病控制工作，以提高可持续性，并改善贫困社区中患有这种被忽视热带病的人们的生活质量。
