Treponematosis is a term used to individually describe any of the diseases caused by four members of the bacterial 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 ...

''. The four diseases are collectively referred to as treponematoses: *

Syphilis Syphilis () is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium ''Treponema pallidum'' subspecies ''pallidum''. The signs and symptoms of syphilis vary depending in which of the four stages it presents (primary, secondary, latent, an ...

(''Treponema pallidum pallidum'') *

Yaws 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, in diameter. The center may break open and form an ulce ...

(''Treponema pallidum pertenue'') *

Bejel Bejel, or endemic syphilis, is a chronic skin and tissue disease caused by infection by the ''endemicum'' subspecies of the spirochete ''Treponema pallidum''. Bejel is one of the "endemic treponematoses" (endemic infections caused by spiral-shaped ...

(''Treponema pallidum endemicum'') * Pinta (''Treponema carateum'') Traditional laboratory tests cannot distinguish the treponematoses. However, sequence differences among the ''T. pallidum'' subspecies have been identified. Molecular approaches involving PCR to identify these sequences are being developed.

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Spirochaetes Bacterium-related cutaneous conditions {{infectious-disease-stub