Future application of research tests to the diagnosis of yaws and other endemic treponematoses.

Recent advances in treponemal research have increased our understanding of the pathogenesis and host response to treponemal infection was well as the antigenic structure of the pathogenic and nonpathogenic treponemes. Although these new methodologies are currently limited to research laboratories, the new findings may ultimately have practical applications to the control of the treponematoses. It is reasonable to expect that reagents for the identification of pathogenic treponemes (vs. non-pathogens) will be commercially available in the next three years. The field application of these reagents may be limited and specimens may need to be sent to regional or reference laboratories for evaluation. Similarly, the detection of specific treponemal IgM antibody may be limited to regional or reference laboratories. This does not preclude the utility of these tests, however, in epidemiologic surveys for determination of disease prevalence before and after treatment programmes, such surveys comprise the heart of any disease control programme.