- Authors:
- Oriol Mitjà,
- Wendy Houinei,
- Penias Moses,
- August Kapa,
- Raymond Paru,
- Russell Hays,
- Sheila Lukehart,
- Charmie Godornes,
- Sibauk Vivaldo Bieb,
- Tim Grice,
- Peter Siba,
- David Mabey,
- Sergi Sanz,
- Pedro L Alonso,
- Kingsley Asiedu,
- Quique Bassat
N Engl J Med 2015 Feb;372(8):703-10
From Lihir Medical Center, International SOS, Newcrest Mining, Lihir Island (O.M., P.M., A.K., R.P.), the Disease Control Branch, National Department of Health, Port Moresby (W.H., S.V.B.), and the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Goroka, Eastern Highland Province (P.S.) - all in Papua New Guinea; Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona Center for International Health Research, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona (O.M., S.S., P.L.A., Q.B.); the College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD (R.H.), and the Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining, Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane (T.G.) - both in Australia; the Departments of Medicine (S.L., C.G.) and Global Health (S.L.), University of Washington, Seattle; the Department of Clinical Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London (D.M.); and the Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases, World Health Organization, Geneva (K.A.).
Background: Mass treatment with azithromycin is a central component of the new World Health Organization (WHO) strategy to eradicate yaws. Empirical data on the effectiveness of the strategy are required as a prerequisite for worldwide implementation of the plan.
Methods: We performed repeated clinical surveys for active yaws, serologic surveys for latent yaws, and molecular analyses to determine the cause of skin ulcers and identify macrolide-resistant mutations before and 6 and 12 months after mass treatment with azithromycin on a Papua New Guinean island on which yaws was endemic.
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