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Microbiology of Mycobacterium Ulcerans

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Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer

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Abstract

Buruli ulcer (BU) disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans is the third most common mycobacterial disease of public health importance. Decades of molecular studies aimed at improving our understanding of the epidemiology of BU have proven difficult to achieve in part due to the use of genotyping methods with insufficient discriminatory power to crack the highly clonal population structure of M. ulcerans to allow tracking the spread and transmission route of the pathogen in communities.

Comparative whole genome analysis showed for the first time that M. ulcerans focal distribution pattern breakdown and multiple M. ulcerans genotypes circulate within a local setting. This offers new perspectives on the nature of the reservoir and mode of transmission of M. ulcerans. The possibility of the bacteria or a reservoir spreading it to be widely distributed across a region and infections being acquired locally seems to be consistent with whole genome sequence data. Potential reservoirs of M. ulcerans thus might include humans or perhaps M. ulcerans-infected animals such as livestock that move regularly between countries.

Comparative whole genome analysis is illuminating our understanding of the nature of M. ulcerans niche environment to enable us to make accurate predictions about its possible reservoir and for the development of targeted and appropriate measures for the primary prevention of BU disease.

Beyond this, comparative genomics can potentially lead to the identification of new targets for development of rapid diagnostic tests to augment early detection and treatment of cases, which is the current strategy for BU control.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Bacteriology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana

    Anthony Ablordey

  2. Mycobacteriology Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerpen, Belgium

    Françoise Portaels

Authors
  1. Anthony Ablordey
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  2. Françoise Portaels
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anthony Ablordey .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Dermatología, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, Ecuador

    Enrico Nunzi

  2. Dermatoloy Unit & Scientific Coordinator, Galliera Hospital, Genova, Italy

    Cesare Massone

  3. Mycobacteriology Department, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Antwerpen, Belgium

    Françoise Portaels

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Ablordey, A., Portaels, F. (2022). Microbiology of Mycobacterium Ulcerans. In: Nunzi, E., Massone, C., Portaels, F. (eds) Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-89704-8_40

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-89704-8_40

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-89703-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-89704-8

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