What is chancroid? Is chancroid frequent? How is the microbe responsible for chancroid transmitted ? What is the incubation period of chancroid? What are the symptoms of chancroid? Chancroid in Men Chancroid in Women Chancroid and pregnancy How is chancroid diagnosed? Is there a cure for chancroid? Who is at risk of contracting chancroid? How to prevent chancroid transmission? How can I prevent infection by chancroid?

Chancroid is quite often difficult to diagnose based on the clinical visual exam alone. The diagnosis is made more difficult in regions of the world where the incidence or number of cases are low. In the presence of an abscess or ulcers in the genital region, the microscopic visualisation of secretions from lesions enable the physician to identify Haemophilus ducreyi (one looks for bacteria that resemble rods forming a train track pattern. The culture (a swab of secretions sent to be grown in the laboratory) of material from the base of an ulcer permit the identification of the bacteria responsible in 70 – 80 % of cases of true chancroid. Newer methods under investigation including DNA amplification identification and blood tests are not yet available for clinical use.

Chancroid