Flies as a mechanical vector for yaws
Wednesday, August 3, 2016 - 06:31
in Biology & Nature
Yaws is a tropical disease that infects the skin, bones and cartilage. It is caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pertenue. Mostly children in remote tropical areas of Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific are infected. Until recently it was assumed that the disease is only spread by direct skin contact with an infected person. Now scientists describe a new transmission path of the tropical disease.