{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,31]],"date-time":"2026-07-31T19:13:58Z","timestamp":1785525238847,"version":"3.56.0"},"update-to":[{"DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0014579","type":"new_version","label":"New version","source":"publisher","updated":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,31]],"date-time":"2026-07-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785456000000}}],"reference-count":31,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,27]],"date-time":"2026-07-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785110400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001713","name":"European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["CSA2020NoE-3100"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CSA2020NoE-3100"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001713","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosntds.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS Negl Trop Dis"],"abstract":"\n Background<\/jats:title>\n \n Skin ulcers are health problem in children in tropical areas. Some clinically resemble yaws and this may cause inappropriate allocation of resources from the WHO yaws eradication plan. Studies have shown that bacteria other than the\n Treponema pallidum<\/jats:italic>\n subspecies\n pertenue<\/jats:italic>\n (bacterium causing yaws) were responsible for these lesions with certain associated risk factors. This study aimed to detect bacteria in yaws-like skin ulcers in Akonolinga Health District and the involvement of some matrices (pets, water, flies).\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n \n A cross-sectional study was conducted from April to June 2023. Swabs were collected from children aged 5\u201315 years with yaws-like lesions and their asymptomatic contacts. Alongside this, samples were also collected from domestic animals, rivers and flies in the vicinity of participants with yaws like lesions. DNA extracted from the samples collected was used to amplify specific genes to detect the bacteria:\n Treponema pallidum<\/jats:italic>\n subspecies\n pertenue<\/jats:italic>\n ,\n Haemophilus ducreyi<\/jats:italic>\n ,\n Staphylococcus aureus<\/jats:italic>\n and\n Arcanobacterium haemolyticum<\/jats:italic>\n .\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n \n Among the 5,931 children screened, 28 presented with yaws-like lesions. Swab samples were collected from these 28 symptomatic individuals as well as from 28 asymptomatic contacts. Among the targeted genes tested, only\n Staphylococcus aureus<\/jats:italic>\n DNA could be amplified from the samples of symptomatic at 32.1% (9\/28) and in asymptomatic at 21.42% (6\/28) (p\u2009=\u20090.547). These bacterial DNA could not be amplified from samples from animal and environmental matrices.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n \n Staphylococcus aureus<\/jats:italic>\n is a bacterium involved in yaws-like ulcers but also found in similar proportion among asymptomatic healthy controls. Further investigation in these skin ulcers is needed for wider diagnostic tools to manage affected population.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0014579","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,27]],"date-time":"2026-07-27T17:34:23Z","timestamp":1785173663000},"page":"e0014579","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pntd.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Investigation of bacterial agents in yaws-like ulcers in children and their environment in Cameroon: An experience from the Akonolinga Health District"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"given":"Francky Ghislain","family":"B\u2019sop","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mama","family":"Mbouombouo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Serges","family":"Tchatchouang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Diane","family":"Kamdem Thiomo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dell-Dylan","family":"Kenfack","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ange Patricia Kamgmo","family":"Tappe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Felix Priso","family":"Bile","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hilaire Claude Zo","family":"Evouna","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Michel","family":"Kengne","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Leonard","family":"Numfor","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Francine","family":"Ntoumi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jean-Paul","family":"Assam-Assam","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Earnest","family":"Njih-Tabah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-1814-4595","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Veronique Penlap","family":"Beng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,27]]},"reference":[{"issue":"1","key":"pntd.0014579.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0005136","article-title":"Integrated control and management of neglected tropical skin diseases","volume":"11","author":"O Mitj\u00e0","year":"2017","journal-title":"PLoS Negl Trop Dis"},{"issue":"6","key":"pntd.0014579.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1527","DOI":"10.1038\/jid.2013.446","article-title":"The global burden of skin disease in 2010: An analysis of the prevalence and impact of skin conditions","volume":"134","author":"RJ Hay","year":"2014","journal-title":"J Invest Dermatol"},{"issue":"3","key":"pntd.0014579.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"248","DOI":"10.1016\/j.clindermatol.2008.10.004","article-title":"A brief history of tropical dermatology","volume":"27","author":"TJ Ryan","year":"2009","journal-title":"Clin Dermatol"},{"issue":"7","key":"pntd.0014579.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.2471\/BLT.08.055608","article-title":"Yaws eradication: Past efforts and future perspectives","volume":"86","author":"K Asiedu","year":"2008","journal-title":"Bull World Health Organ"},{"key":"pntd.0014579.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mitj\u00e0 O, Asiedu K, Mabey D: Yaws. 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