What is a chancroid?
Chancroid (“shan-kroid”) is a little-known, highly contagious, yet curable sexually transmitted genital ulcer disease caused by the bacterium Haemophilus ducreyi [Pronounced hum-AH-fill-us DOO-cray]. Chancroid causes ulcers, generally in the genital areas. Swollen, painful lymph glands, or inguinal buboes [pronounced in-GWEEN-al BEW-boes], in the groin area are regularly related with chancroid. It is characterized by the growth of ulcers or chancres on the genital areas which can be very painful, and is thus sometimes known as “soft chancre”. The open sores caused by chancroid similar to syphilis increase the person’s risk of getting other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). If it is left untreated, chancroid may facilitate the transmission and infection of HIV/AIDS.
Chancroid can be transmitted sexually if there is a skin-to-skin contact with open sores.
Chancroid is infectious as long as the infected person has any open sores. The open sores contain bacteria and any contact with these sores results in chancroid infection.
 What is chancroid?
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Chancroid exits all over the world, but is most widespread in the Third World and developing countries. Though choncroid is not usually seen in the U.S., it is a rather a common disease in the developing nations. It is very common in Africa and is becoming more common in the United States.
Sporadic irruptions of chancroid have taken place in the United States, the last one being in the late 1980s. These outbreaks generally occur in minority populace in the internal cities, particularly in the southern and eastern region of the country. Worldwide, this disease is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa amongst the men who have regular contact with the prostitutes.
Transmission of Chancroid takes place in two ways:
a) Sexual transmission through skin-to-skin contact with open sores. It is much possible for the bacteria to invade the sexual organs at the point of a pre-existing injury, such as a small cut or scrape. The probability of transmission or infection is much higher if a person is sexually very active and does not practice safe sex and personal hygiene. Any sexually active person can be infected with chancroid. It is more commonly seen in men than in women, particularly in among the uncircumcised males.
b) Non-sexual transmission by means of autoinoculation when contact is made with the pus-like fluid from the ulcer.
A person is regarded to be infected if there’re ulcers present in the body. There has been no account of the disease in babies born to women with active chancroid at time of pregnancy or delivery.
