Chancroid
Overview of the
Etiologic Agent
The incidence of chancroid in the United
States is small, with less than one thousand cases reported each year.
Chancroid is caused by the bacteriumHemophilis ducreyi, a
gram-negative bacillus. Testing for chancroid involves taking a sample of
tissue from the chancroid lesion (described below).
The incubation period of H. ducreyi is
3 to 10 days.
Signs, Symptoms and
Treatment
Chancroid is characterized by the development
of an extremely painful lesion that appears, typically, in the urogenital
region. Initially the lesion looks like a raised bump that continues to grow
and ulcerate over a 1 to 2 day period. The lesion, as stated before, is painful
as well as soft, with jagged edges, and its base may develop a yellow or gray
exudate. About half of people infected with H. ducreyi will
develop lymphadenopathy.
Treatment for chancroid is with antibiotics.
Partners should be treated whether or not they have developed a lesion. In
addition, since chancroid is correlated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
infection, the patient and his or her partners should be tested for HIV as
well.
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