Good data collection is essential for a better understanding of Buruli ulcer.

Abstract

Buruli ulcer is a necrotising skin and soft tissue disease caused by the environmental bacterium Mycobacterium ulcerans. The organism belongs to the same family as those that cause leprosy and tuberculosis, but uniquely, M ulcerans produces the toxin mycolactone, which causes tissue damage. Clinical manifestations include nodules, oedema, and plaques, but the most typical presentation is a large ulcer, usually on the limbs. Buruli ulcer is rarely fatal, but victims are often left deformed and with permanent disability.