''Treponema carateum'' is a species of

spirochete A spirochaete () or spirochete is a member of the phylum Spirochaetota (also called Spirochaetes ), which contains distinctive diderm (double-membrane) Gram-negative bacteria, most of which have long, helically coiled (corkscrew-shaped or ...

bacteria Bacteria (; : bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one Cell (biology), biological cell. They constitute a large domain (biology), domain of Prokaryote, prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micr ...

in the genus ''

Treponema ''Treponema'' is a genus of spiral-shaped bacteria. The major treponeme species of human pathogens is ''Treponema pallidum'', whose subspecies are responsible for diseases such as syphilis, bejel, and yaws. '' Treponema carateum'' is the cause ...

''. It is the cause of pinta, a disease affecting exclusively the skin. Children living in tropical American countries are most at risk.

References

carateum Undescribed species {{Spirochaetae-stub