Abstract
BackgroundNigeria 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.Methodology/Principal findingsA 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).Conclusions/SignificanceThis 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.
Highlights
Buruli ulcer (BU) is a neglected tropical disease that mainly affects the skin
Clinical, biological and therapeutic characteristics of BU cases from Nigeria treated in the three other CDTUBs
DNA of M. ulcerans was detected in mosquitoes collected in Australia but a field study conducted in Benin suggested that mosquitoes do not play a central role in the ecology and transmission of M. ulcerans [5]
Summary
Buruli ulcer (BU) is a neglected tropical disease that mainly affects the skin. The disease results from infection with Mycobacterium ulcerans, an environmental bacterium. Several experimental and environmental studies have demonstrated the implication of aquatic bugs in transmission of the disease [2,3,4]. Fish has been identified as a passive reservoir of M. ulcerans but generally not responsible for direct transmission of the disease [6]. Acanthamoeba species have been identified as natural hosts of M. ulcerans and have been suggested as responsible for transmission of the disease [7]. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified BU as a neglected tropical disease [8,9,10,11]. 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
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