It almost always occurs in poor children.
Scratching spreads the infection and more growths begin to appear elsewhere on the body.
Yaws is spread by any type of direct contact with the lesion. There is some evidence that infection with yaws MAY be protective against syphilis, this has not been conclusively proven. A single, large dose of penicillin G is given by intramuscular injection. This cures the infection. Yaws lesions will heal slowly even without treatment, but this may take 6 months or more and recurrence is common.