<span class='italic'>Mycobacterium ulcerans</span> Disease (Buruli Ulcer)

doi:10.1017/9781009052733.038

Chapter 37 - Mycobacterium ulcerans Disease (Buruli Ulcer)

from Section 5 - Bacterial Infections

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 June 2025

Richard Odame Phillips and

Edited by

Dorothy Yeboah-Manu ,

Michael Marks and

David Mabey: Affiliation:
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Martin W. Weber: Affiliation:
World Health Organization
Moffat Nyirenda: Affiliation:
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Dorothy Yeboah-Manu: Affiliation:
Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana
Jackson Orem: Affiliation:
Uganda Cancer Institute, Kampala
Laura Benjamin: Affiliation:
University College London
Michael Marks: Affiliation:
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Nicholas A. Feasey: Affiliation:
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

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Summary

Buruli ulcer (BU) caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans causes a severe necrotizing infection of the skin and subcutaneous tissues. It can sometimes extend to involve the underlying muscles and rarely affects bone resulting in osteomyelitis. The disease was first described by Sir Albert Cook during his pioneering work in Uganda in 1897. Subsequently, MacCallum and other Australian scientists coincidentally found the causative organism to be M. ulcerans when an incubator originally set at 37°C broke down. The name Buruli comes from an area of Uganda where many cases were reported in the 1960s. In 1998, the World Health Organization (WHO) established the Global Buruli Ulcer Initiative to coordinate control and research activities towards the elimination of BU and this has led to major gains in understanding the disease mechanism. Now, the WHO has designated the disease as a neglected tropical disease (NTD) (WHO 2024).

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Type: Chapter
Information: Principles of Medicine in Africa , pp. 421 - 428

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009052733.038 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2025

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References

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