Buruli ulcer disease in travelers and differentiation of Mycobacterium ulcerans strains from northern Australia

J Clin Microbiol. 2012 Nov;50(11):3717-21. doi: 10.1128/JCM.01324-12. Epub 2012 Aug 8.

Abstract

Buruli ulcer (BU) is a necrotizing infection of skin and soft tissue caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. In Australia, most cases of BU are linked to temperate, coastal Victoria and tropical, northern Queensland, and strains from these regions are distinguishable by variable-number tandem repeat (VNTR) typing. We present an epidemiological investigation of five patients found to have been infected during interstate travel and describe two nucleotide polymorphisms that differentiate M. ulcerans strains from northern Australia.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Australia / epidemiology
  • Buruli Ulcer / epidemiology*
  • Buruli Ulcer / microbiology
  • Buruli Ulcer / pathology
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Female
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Molecular Epidemiology
  • Molecular Typing*
  • Mycobacterium ulcerans / classification*
  • Mycobacterium ulcerans / genetics*
  • Mycobacterium ulcerans / isolation & purification
  • Phylogeny
  • Polymorphism, Genetic*
  • Travel*