Frambesia or “tropical syphilis” – what is it and what is dangerous

Frambesia is an infectious disease that affects the skin, cartilage and bones. It is caused by the bacterium Treponema pertenue. This is a subspecies of spirochetes, belonging to the same species as Treponema pallidum – a pale spirochete, the causative agent of a sexually transmitted disease – syphilis. But unlike the latter, frambesia is not sexually transmitted, therefore it is sometimes called a type of non-venereal syphilis and is assigned to the group of treponematoses. Continue reading →