''Treponema carateum'' is a species of

spirochete A spirochaete () or spirochete is a member of the phylum Spirochaetota (), (synonym Spirochaetes) which contains distinctive diderm (double-membrane) gram-negative bacteria, most of which have long, helically coiled (corkscrew-shaped or s ...

bacteria Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among ...

in the genus ''

Treponema ''Treponema'' is a genus of spiral-shaped bacteria. The major treponeme species of human pathogens is ''Treponema pallidum'', whose subspecies are responsible for diseases such as syphilis, bejel, and yaws. ''Treponema carateum'' is the cause o ...

''. It is the cause of pinta, a disease affecting exclusively the skin. Children living in tropical American countries are most at risk.

References

carateum Undescribed species {{Spirochaetae-stub