Following the unfortunate incident reported from Australia, where a Sri Lankan woman is fighting for her life after contracting a flesh-eating disease, global attention has been drawn to the mysterious, sci-fi-looking flesh-eating bacteria.
Buruli ulcer is caused by a bacterium named Mycobacterium ulcerans. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this bacterium produces a toxin that causes skin damage. If early treatment is not administered, Buruli ulcer can lead to long-term disability for those infected. The bacterium that causes Buruli ulcer belongs to the same family as those causing tuberculosis and leprosy. However, it is still unclear how people contract it from the environment.
According to the WHO, Buruli ulcer has been reported in 33 countries in Africa alone. Several cases have also been reported in the Americas, Asia, and the Western Pacific. According to current WHO data, most cases have been reported in tropical and subtropical regions, except for Australia and Japan.
The Buruli ulcer was first diagnosed in Australia in the 1940s. Meanwhile, cases of Buruli ulcer have recently been on the rise in Australia. Australia’s Victorian health authorities revealed a record number of flesh-eating ulcer cases last year.
According to Victorian health officials, 363 Buruli ulcer cases were diagnosed in Victoria in 2023 alone. This condition can cause significant skin damage, including painful lumps, limb swelling, and severe pain. The Victorian Department of Health stated that in most cases, a mosquito-linked condition could be treated with oral antibiotics. However, health officials pointed out that early diagnosis is vital for effective treatment.
Health officials revealed that cases of Buruli ulcer have spread beyond coastal areas, with some cases reported in Geelong and Melbourne areas, including Essendon, Moonee Ponds, and Brunswick. Scientists have confirmed that the flesh-eating bacteria, Mycobacterium ulcerans, is transmitted from possums to humans via mosquito bites. It often starts as a spot resembling a mosquito or spider bite and enlarges over time without any fever or other infection signs.
A recent study by Victoria’s Doherty Institute, published in Nature Microbiology, has solved an 80-year-old mystery about the disease’s transmission. Researchers tested 65,000 mosquitoes from Melbourne’s Mornington Peninsula between 2016 and 2021 and found that the bacteria’s genetic makeup in two mosquito types matched that in humans who contracted the ulcer in the area.
The findings provide the first concrete information for people to protect themselves from this infection, which has seen a dramatic increase in recent years, particularly in certain areas along the Mornington Peninsula, parts of Geelong, and suburbs in inner Melbourne.
While the study provides a piece of the puzzle, it doesn’t tell the whole story, according to Associate Professor Eugene Athan of Deakin University. Questions remain about why people still get exposed and develop infections separate from mosquito bites, why Buruli ulcer has moved so dramatically in Victoria over the last 70 years, and what introduces the bacteria to new environments. Wildlife and climate change may be factors, but a conclusive connection hasn’t been made yet.
The research is significant as it allows people to take preventative steps against the ulcer, such as using insect repellent, removing stagnant water, covering up while gardening or working outdoors, and washing wounds and scratches immediately. The Buruli ulcer, usually diagnosed by a doctor, is treatable with a six-to-eight-week course of antibiotics. However, the rise in Buruli ulcer cases in Australia highlights the importance of understanding the transmission and environmental factors involved in the spread of the disease to develop effective prevention and treatment strategies.
Sri Lankan mother faces amputation in Australia after contracting with a rare infection
