PERMANENTLY EXCLUDE:

• If the donor has ever been diagnosed with Yaws.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Yaws is a tropical infection of the skin, bones and joints caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum pertenue. The disease begins with a round, hard swelling of the skin that may break open and form an ulcer. Yaws is spread by direct contact with the fluid from a lesion of an infected person. The contact is usually of a non-sexual nature. The disease is most common among children, who spread it by playing together. Yaws is endemic along the tropical belt in areas characterized by hot temperatures, high humidity, and heavy rainfall. These conditions, coupled with the persistence of poverty, poor sanitation, overcrowding, and lack of public health surveillance, allow for yaws perpetuation.