Some Aspects of Yaws in Liberia

F. S. da Cruz-Ferreira
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H. Sterenberg
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Summary

As yaws is one of the most important problems of the public health program in Liberia, clinical and serological studies were made during a combined malaria and yaws pilot project as a preliminary to a mass campaign. In the 8,892 cases of yaws examined (46.2 per cent males, 53.8 per cent females) hyperkeratosis was the most frequent lesion in those over two years old, followed by infectious lesions of the 2–10 year olds and the group of miscellaneous manifestations in those over 19. In 77 darkfield examinations of infectious cases, the initial lesion was 100 per cent positive, while multiple papillomata was positive in 96.2 per cent and wet crab yaws in 70.3 per cent. The VDRL serological test was positive in 75 per cent of patients with early skin lesions and in all those having wet crab yaws; in 757 patients without clinical signs of yaws, 46.6 per cent were positive.

Author Notes

World Health Organisation, P. O. Box 6, Brassaville, French Equatorial Africa.

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