Yaws Disease Caused by <i>Treponema pallidum</i> subspecies <i>pertenue</i> in Wild Chimpanzee, Guinea, 2019
Benjamin Mubemba, Emeline Chanove, Kerstin Mätz‐Rensing, Jan F. Gogarten, Ariane Düx, Kevin Merkel, Caroline Röthemeier, Andreas Sachse, Helene Rase, Tatyana Humle, Guillaume Banville, Marine Tchoubar, Sébastien Calvignac‐Spencer, Christelle Colin, Fabian H. Leendertz
Abstract
Yaws-like lesions are widely reported in wild African great apes, yet the causative agent has not been confirmed in affected animals. We describe yaws-like lesions in a wild chimpanzee in Guinea for which we demonstrate infection with Treponema pallidum subsp. pertenue. Assessing the conservation implications of this pathogen requires further research.
Topics & Concepts
TreponemaBiologySubspeciesVirologyDiseaseNew guineaZoologySyphilisMedicinePathologyEthnologyHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV)HistorySyphilis Diagnosis and TreatmentVirology and Viral DiseasesZoonotic diseases and public health