Buruli ulcer surveillance in south-eastern Australian possums: Infection status, lesion mapping and internal distribution of Mycobacterium ulcerans.

ABSTRACT: Buruli ulcer (BU) is a neglected tropical disease of skin and subcutaneous tissues caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. BU-endemic areas are highly focal, and M. ulcerans transmission dynamics vary by setting. In Victoria, Australia, BU is an endemic vector-borne zoonosis, with mosquitoes and native possums implicated in transmission, and humans incidental hosts. Despite the importance of possums as wildlife reservoirs of M. ulcerans, knowledge of BU in these animals is limited. Opportunistic necropsy-based and active trap-and-release surveillance studies were conducted across Melbourne and Geelong, Victoria, to investigate BU in possums. Demographic data and biological samples were collected, and cutaneous lesions suggestive of BU were mapped. Samples were tested for the presence of M. ulcer

SUBMITTER: Hobbs EC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11581399 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature