Chancroid

Chancroid is a sexually transmitted genital ulcerative disease caused by Haemophilus ducreyi ^[1]. It is characterized in source material as a bacterial condition and is specifically linked to inguinal bubo formation ^[1]. Source-backed detail on formal classification beyond this etiologic description is not yet available.

The source material describes chancroid as a genital ulcerative condition, and it is associated with inguinal bubo formation ^[1]. This supports a syndrome of genital ulceration with regional lymph node involvement, although the full clinical spectrum is not provided in the available snippets ^[1]. Source-backed detail on lesion morphology, symptom duration, complication frequency, or severe disease patterns is not yet available. No treatment or diagnostic performance details beyond the general lack of laboratory-based diagnostics in many settings are provided ^[1].

Available surveillance evidence indicates that the relative prevalence of chancroid has dramatically declined in the few endemic settings where appropriate diagnostic tools exist ^[1]. At the same time, laboratory-based diagnostics are lacking in most parts of the world, which limits etiologic surveillance and makes the true burden difficult to interpret ^[1]. The organism has also been reported as a frequent cause of chronic skin ulceration in recent yaws surveys in the Western Pacific region, suggesting that its epidemiologic footprint may extend beyond classic genital disease presentations ^[1]. Source-backed detail on exact geographic distribution, outbreak size, or incidence is not yet available ^[1].

Chancroid is described as sexually transmitted, indicating acquisition through sexual exposure ^[1]. The provided sources do not further specify the exact exposure mechanism, persistence outside the host, or other transmission settings. Source-backed detail on alternative routes is not yet available.

Source-backed detail on specific high-risk age, sex, behavioral, or immunologic groups is not yet available. The available material does note that HIV-1-infected patients require careful follow-up because treatment failure with single-dose regimens has been reported ^[1]. Beyond this, no additional risk-group characterization is provided in the snippets.

The available sources support prevention through surveillance and control of sexual exposure, but they do not provide a detailed prevention schedule or intervention package ^[1]. Because laboratory-based diagnostics are lacking in most of the world, improved etiologic testing is implied as an important public-health measure for case management and surveillance ^[1]. Source-backed detail on specific behavioral, partner-management, or vaccine-based prevention measures is not yet available.

In surveillance systems, chancroid should be read as a sexually transmitted genital ulcer syndrome caused by H. ducreyi, with possible inguinal bubo formation ^[1]. The main interpretive limitation is that etiologic surveillance is constrained in many settings by the lack of laboratory-based diagnostics ^[1]. Recent observations from yaws surveys in the Western Pacific region suggest that H. ducreyi may also appear in chronic skin ulcer investigations, so case definitions should be interpreted within local clinical and epidemiologic context ^[1].

1. 1 Lewis DA et al. Chancroid. Clin Dermatol. 2026 Jan-Feb. PMID: 41046959. doi: 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2025.09.017. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41046959/
2. 2 Roett MA et al. Genital Ulcers: Differential Diagnosis and Management. Am Fam Physician. 2020 Mar 15. PMID: 32163252. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32163252/
3. 3 Fuertes de Vega L et al. [Translated article] AEDV Expert Consensus for the Management of Syphilis. Actas Dermosifiliogr. 2024 Oct. PMID: 39111574. doi: 10.1016/j.ad.2024.08.006. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39111574/
4. 4 Chancroid. Hunter's Tropical Medicine and Emerging Infectious Disease. 2013. doi: 10.1016/b978-1-4160-4390-4.00051-5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-1-4160-4390-4.00051-5
5. 5 Chancroid. Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice. 1990. doi: 10.1016/s0095-4543(21)00597-2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/s0095-4543(21)00597-2
6. 6 Chancroid. Inflammation II. 1959. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-87084-2_6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-87084-2_6

ICD-10

ICD-11

Total cases

48

Peak month

2021-01

Coverage

2 reporting countries · 2000-01-01 → 2026-06-20