The buzz around the zoonotic infection, Buruli ulcer

Carolyn O’Brien; Timothy P. Stinear

doi:10.1071/MA24029

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

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The buzz around the zoonotic infection, Buruli ulcer

Carolyn O’Brien ^A ^* and Timothy P. Stinear ^B

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Melbourne Cat Vets, Fitzroy, Vic. 3065, Australia.

^B Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Doherty Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic. 3000, Australia. Email: tstinear@unimelb.edu.au

Carolyn O’Brien is a veterinarian with a PhD in mycobacteriology and a registered feline medicine specialist. She is currently the director of Melbourne Cat Vets, Victoria.

Tim Stinear is a professor of microbiology at The University of Melbourne. His research interests are broad and include a long-standing interest in M. ulcerans and Buruli ulcer.

^* Correspondence to: cob@catvet.net.au

Microbiology Australia https://doi.org/10.1071/MA24029

Submitted: 18 April 2024 Accepted: 30 April 2024 Published: 16 May 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of the ASM. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Here, we provide an update on the significant progress towards understanding transmission of Mycobacterium ulcerans, the causative agent of the neglected tropical skin disease, Buruli ulcer. We review the evidence that Buruli ulcer is an enzootic infection among Australian native possums, and we discuss the role of mosquitoes in transmit the infection to humans. We show how studies of M. ulcerans transmission – following the dramatic emergence of Buruli ulcer in temperate south-eastern Australia – are being supported by adherence to One Health principles, with interdisciplinary research teams uncovering connections between human health, animal health, and the environment. We also discuss some of the distinctive features of M. ulcerans revealed by genomics that should be considered when thinking about how this pathogen is spreading.

Keywords: Bairnsdale ulcer, Buruli ulcer, mosquitoes, Mycobacterium ulcerans, mycobacteria, One Health, possums, zoonosis.

Biographies

Carolyn O’Brien is a veterinarian with a PhD in mycobacteriology and a registered feline medicine specialist. She is currently the director of Melbourne Cat Vets, Victoria.

Tim Stinear is a professor of microbiology at The University of Melbourne. His research interests are broad and include a long-standing interest in M. ulcerans and Buruli ulcer.

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