Treponema carateum
Quick Summary
Treponema carateum is a bacterium that causes pinta, a chronic tropical skin disease. Pinta is characterized by dry, scaly lesions followed by discolored patches, which can be white, blue, red, or pink. This organism is morphologically indistinguishable from the bacterium that causes syphilis, Treponema pallidum.123
Pinta is endemic to Central and South America and is transmitted through nonvenereal contact. Unlike syphilis, pinta generally has minimal impact on a person's overall health. Both pinta and syphilis are treated with the same methods, and there is some evidence of cross-immunity between the two diseases.1
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