Yaws-like lesions are widely reported in wild African great apes, yet the causative agent has not been confirmed in affected animals. We describe yaws-like lesions in a wild chimpanzee in Guinea for which we demonstrate infection with Treponema pallidum subsp. pertenue. Assessing the conservation implications of this pathogen requires further research.
Keywords: Guinea; Treponema pallidum; Treponema pallidum subspecies pertenue; bacteria; chimpanzee; yaws disease.