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Buruli Ulcer
Arwen Frick-Cheng
Bio 402
What is Buruli Ulcer?
• Infectious disease
• Characterized by the WHO as a Neglected
Tropical Diseases (NTD)
▫ 14 NTD
▫ Widely disregarded by industrial nations
What is Buruli Ulcer?
Regions/People Affected
• Tropical wetlands and rainforest
▫ Mainly: West and Central Africa
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Associated with bodies of stagnant water
The immunocompromised
The poor
Children
Causative Agent
• Mycobacterium ulcerans
• Related to Tuberculosis, Leprosy
Colonies of Mycobacterium ulcerans.
http://www.public.asu.edu/~shaydel/research_002buruli.html
Identification of Bacteria
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Acid Fast Stain
Selective Culture
Histopathology
PCR
Acid-fast stain of Mycobacterium ulcerans.
http://www.who.int/buruli/information/diagnosis/en/index14.html
Symptoms
• Long latent period
• Usually on exposed
body parts
• Four stages
Virulence Factor
• Toxin: Mycolactone
▫ Immunosupressant
▫ Necrosis
Treatment
• Antibiotic
▫ Rifampicin
• Surgical removal/amputation
• Vaccination (BCG)
• Alternatives
▫ Heat treatment
▫ French Clay
▫ Topical nitrogen oxides
• Will slowly heal on its own
Effects
• Heavy scarring
▫ Contracture of limbs
▫ Blindness
• secondary infections
References
• Neglected Diseases Caused By Bacterial
Infections. M. Bechtle, S. Chen and T. Efferth.
Current Medicinal Chemistry, 2010, 17, 42-60
• Laboratory diagnosis of Buruli ulcer disease.
Marcus Beissner, Karl-Heinz Herbinger & Gisela
Bretzel . Future Science Group
• Mycolactone Inhibits Monocyte Cytokine
Production by a Posttranscriptional
Mechanism. Rachel E. Simmonds et al. J.
Immunol. 2009;182;2194-2202