02103nas a2200325   4500000000100000008004100001653003900042653001700081653001000098653001200108653001700120653001400137100001300151700001500164700001500179700001500194700001400209700001400223700001300237700001500250700001500265700001300280700001300293245010100306856009800407300001300505490000700518520123800525022001401763       2018                            d10aNeglected tropical diseases (NTDs)10aBuruli ulcer10aBenin10aNigeria10aEpidemiology10aTreatment1 aAyelo GA1 aAnagonou E1 aWadagni AC1 aBarogui YT1 aDossou AD1 aHouezo JG1 aAguiar J1 aJohnson RC1 aSaizonou R1 aAsiedu K1 aSopoh GE00aReport of a series of 82 cases of Buruli ulcer from Nigeria treated in Benin, from 2006 to 2016.  uhttp://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0006358&type=printable  ae00063580 v123 a<p><strong>BACKGROUND: </strong>Nigeria is one of the countries endemic for Buruli ulcer (BU) in West Africa but did not have a control programme until recently. As a result, BU patients often access treatment services in neighbouring Benin where dedicated health facilities have been established to provide treatment free of charge for BU patients. This study aimed to describe the epidemiological, clinical, biological and therapeutic characteristics of cases from Nigeria treated in three of the four treatment centers in Benin.</p>

<p><strong>METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: </strong>A series of 82 BU cases from Nigeria were treated in three centres in Benin during 2006-2016 and are retrospectively described. The majority of these patients came from Ogun and Lagos States which border Benin. Most of the cases were diagnosed with ulcerative lesions (80.5%) and WHO category III lesions (82.9%); 97.5% were healed after a median hospital stay of 46 days (interquartile range [IQR]: 32-176 days).</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: </strong>This report adds to the epidemiological understanding of BU in Nigeria in the hope that the programme will intensify efforts aimed at early case detection and treatment.</p>
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