Persistent association of Mycobacterium ulcerans with West African predaceous insects of the family belostomatidae.

ABSTRACT: A number of studies have suggested that Mycobacterium ulcerans, the etiological agent of Buruli ulcer, may be transmitted to humans by insect bites. M. ulcerans has been isolated from a predaceous aquatic insect, and PCR detection of M. ulcerans DNA in aquatic environments suggests that the organism is widely distributed within many invertebrate taxa and functional feeding groups. Thus, M. ulcerans may be concentrated through different trophic links. However, the specific environmental niche of M. ulcerans and route of transmission to humans remain a mystery. In this study, a biologically relevant infection model in which M. ulcerans-infected mosquito larvae were fed to a species of predaceous hemiptera (African Belostomatidae) was used to demonstrate the persistent colonization of M. ulce

SUBMITTER: Mosi L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2583505 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature