A cross-sectional study of 'yaws' in districts of Ghana which have previously undertaken azithromycin mass drug administration for trachoma control.

Yaws, caused by Treponema pallidum ssp. pertenue, is reportedly endemic in Ghana. Mass distribution of azithromycin is now the cornerstone of the WHO yaws eradication campaign. Mass distribution of azithromycin at a lower target dose was previously undertaken in two regions of Ghana for the control...

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Main Authors: Rosanna Ghinai, Philip El-Duah, Kai-Hua Chi, Allan Pillay, Anthony W Solomon, Robin L Bailey, Nsiire Agana, David C W Mabey, Cheng-Yen Chen, Yaw Adu-Sarkodie, Michael Marks
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2015-01-01
Series:PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0003496
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author Rosanna Ghinai
Philip El-Duah
Kai-Hua Chi
Allan Pillay
Anthony W Solomon
Robin L Bailey
Nsiire Agana
David C W Mabey
Cheng-Yen Chen
Yaw Adu-Sarkodie
Michael Marks
author_facet Rosanna Ghinai
Philip El-Duah
Kai-Hua Chi
Allan Pillay
Anthony W Solomon
Robin L Bailey
Nsiire Agana
David C W Mabey
Cheng-Yen Chen
Yaw Adu-Sarkodie
Michael Marks
author_sort Rosanna Ghinai
collection DOAJ
description Yaws, caused by Treponema pallidum ssp. pertenue, is reportedly endemic in Ghana. Mass distribution of azithromycin is now the cornerstone of the WHO yaws eradication campaign. Mass distribution of azithromycin at a lower target dose was previously undertaken in two regions of Ghana for the control of trachoma. Ongoing reporting of yaws raises the possibility that resistance may have emerged in T. pallidum pertenue, or that alternative infections may be responsible for some of the reported cases. We conducted a cross-sectional survey in thirty communities in two districts of Ghana where MDA for trachoma had previously been conducted. Children aged 5-17 years with ulcerative lesions compatible with yaws were enrolled. Samples for treponemal serology and lesion PCR were collected from all children. 90 children with 98 lesions were enrolled. Syphilis serology was negative in all of them. PCR for T. pallidum ssp pertenue was negative in all children, but Haemophilus ducreyi DNA was detected in 9 lesions. In these communities, previously treated for trachoma, we found no evidence of ongoing transmission of yaws. H. ducreyi was associated with a proportion of skin lesions, but the majority of lesions remain unexplained. Integration of diagnostic testing into both pre and post-MDA surveillance systems is required to better inform yaws control programmes.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1935-2727
1935-2735
language English
publishDate 2015-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
spelling doaj-art-c164e3ebe5cf4641b1685f946ae3f78b2025-08-20T03:46:23ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases1935-27271935-27352015-01-0191e000349610.1371/journal.pntd.0003496A cross-sectional study of 'yaws' in districts of Ghana which have previously undertaken azithromycin mass drug administration for trachoma control.Rosanna GhinaiPhilip El-DuahKai-Hua ChiAllan PillayAnthony W SolomonRobin L BaileyNsiire AganaDavid C W MabeyCheng-Yen ChenYaw Adu-SarkodieMichael MarksYaws, caused by Treponema pallidum ssp. pertenue, is reportedly endemic in Ghana. Mass distribution of azithromycin is now the cornerstone of the WHO yaws eradication campaign. Mass distribution of azithromycin at a lower target dose was previously undertaken in two regions of Ghana for the control of trachoma. Ongoing reporting of yaws raises the possibility that resistance may have emerged in T. pallidum pertenue, or that alternative infections may be responsible for some of the reported cases. We conducted a cross-sectional survey in thirty communities in two districts of Ghana where MDA for trachoma had previously been conducted. Children aged 5-17 years with ulcerative lesions compatible with yaws were enrolled. Samples for treponemal serology and lesion PCR were collected from all children. 90 children with 98 lesions were enrolled. Syphilis serology was negative in all of them. PCR for T. pallidum ssp pertenue was negative in all children, but Haemophilus ducreyi DNA was detected in 9 lesions. In these communities, previously treated for trachoma, we found no evidence of ongoing transmission of yaws. H. ducreyi was associated with a proportion of skin lesions, but the majority of lesions remain unexplained. Integration of diagnostic testing into both pre and post-MDA surveillance systems is required to better inform yaws control programmes.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0003496
spellingShingle Rosanna Ghinai
Philip El-Duah
Kai-Hua Chi
Allan Pillay
Anthony W Solomon
Robin L Bailey
Nsiire Agana
David C W Mabey
Cheng-Yen Chen
Yaw Adu-Sarkodie
Michael Marks
A cross-sectional study of 'yaws' in districts of Ghana which have previously undertaken azithromycin mass drug administration for trachoma control.
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
title A cross-sectional study of 'yaws' in districts of Ghana which have previously undertaken azithromycin mass drug administration for trachoma control.
title_full A cross-sectional study of 'yaws' in districts of Ghana which have previously undertaken azithromycin mass drug administration for trachoma control.
title_fullStr A cross-sectional study of 'yaws' in districts of Ghana which have previously undertaken azithromycin mass drug administration for trachoma control.
title_full_unstemmed A cross-sectional study of 'yaws' in districts of Ghana which have previously undertaken azithromycin mass drug administration for trachoma control.
title_short A cross-sectional study of 'yaws' in districts of Ghana which have previously undertaken azithromycin mass drug administration for trachoma control.
title_sort cross sectional study of yaws in districts of ghana which have previously undertaken azithromycin mass drug administration for trachoma control
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0003496
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