Introducing Yaws — A Creepy Disease You Hope You Never Get

If you’ve ever wanted to experience the joys of an ancient, flesh-eating disease without the inconvenience of time travel, may we introduce you to yaws? This delightful bacterial infection is brought to you by Treponema pallidum, the same family of germs responsible for syphilis—except this disease is not sexually transmitted, so at least there’s that. Instead, you can pick it up the old-fashioned way: by coming into direct contact with someone sporting the telltale yaws skin sores. Yes, this is an infection that quite literally spreads by touch, meaning personal space is your best friend.

After a cozy incubation period of two to four weeks, your body will reward you with a single, itchy but painless ulcer known as the “mother yaw.” Don’t let the cute name fool you—this is not a maternal figure you want in your life. Once the mother yaw heals, it graciously invites its friends to the party, leading to an outbreak of secondary sores that can make the infected look like extras from a low-budget zombie film.

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As the disease progresses, it moves beyond ruining your social life and starts targeting your bones. Symptoms include swelling of the fingers, excruciating bone pain, and extensive scarring. If left untreated, yaws can advance to its final form, which involves severe disfigurement and disability. But don’t panic just yet—only those who miss out on proper antibacterial treatment end up with these extreme complications.

Yaws thrives in warm, tropical regions, with Africa, Asia, and the Pacific Islands being particularly popular hotspots. So if you ever find yourself in these areas and someone with suspicious sores reaches in for a handshake—maybe just wave instead.

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