01967nas a2200265 4500000000100000008004100001653001700042653002700059653001600086653003900102653004200141653003700183653001400220100001200234700001300246700001600259700001300275700001500288700001800303700001600321700001300337245005300350856007400403520122400477 2018 d10aBuruli ulcer10aMycobacterium ulcerans10aMycolactone10aNeglected tropical diseases (NTDs)10aNon-tuberculous mycobacterial disease10aSkin neglected tropical diseases10aSkin NTDs1 aYotsu R1 aSuzuki K1 aSimmonds RE1 aBedimo R1 aAblordey A1 aYeboah-Manu D1 aPhillips RO1 aAsiedu K00aBuruli Ulcer: a review of the current knowledge. uhttps://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs40475-018-0166-2.pdf3 a
Purpose of the Review Buruli ulcer (BU) is a necrotizing and disabling cutaneous disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, one of the skin-related neglected tropical diseases (skin NTDs). This article aims to review the current knowledge of this disease and challenges ahead.
Recent Findings Around 60,000 cases of BU have been reported from over 33 countries between 2002 and 2017. Encouraging findings for development of point-of-care tests for BU are being made, and its treatment is currently in the transition period from rifampicin plus streptomycin (injection) to all-oral regimen. A major recent advance in our understanding of its pathogenesis has been agreement on the mechanismof action of the major virulence toxin mycolactone in host cells, targeting the Sec61 translocon during a major step in protein biogenesis.
Summary BU is distributed mainly in West Africa, but cases are also found in other parts of the world. We may be underestimating its true disease burden, due to the limited awareness of this disease. More awareness and more understanding of BU will surely contribute in enhancing our fight against this skin NTD.