Buruli Ulcer Disease and Its Association with Land Cover in Southwestern Ghana.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Buruli ulcer (BU), one of 17 neglected tropical diseases, is a debilitating skin and soft tissue infection caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. In tropical Africa, changes in land use and proximity to water have been associated with the disease. This study presents the first analysis of BU at the village level in southwestern Ghana, where prevalence rates are among the highest globally, and explores fine and medium-scale associations with land cover by comparing patterns both within BU clusters and surrounding landscapes.

Methodology/principal findings

We obtained 339 hospital-confirmed BU cases in southwestern Ghana between 2007 and 2010. The clusters of BU were identified using spatial scan statistics and the percentages of six land cover classes were calculated ba

SUBMITTER: Wu J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4474842 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature