Buruli ulcer (BU: Mycobacterium ulcerans infection) is the third most frequent mycobacterial disease in humans, next to tuberculosis and leprosy, often causing serious skin ulcerations, deformities, and disability. It has dramatically emerged since the 1980's in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, especially West Africa. Rapid diagnostic tests are lacking, surveillance and reporting are inadequate, and antibiotic treatment is ineffective. The epidemiology is poorly understood; however, there is increased incidence in populations near wetlands or swamps, often created as a result of human environmental disturbance. Recent findings suggest a role of aquatic insects (e.g., Hemiptera) in the transmission of M. ulcerans. DNA of M. ulcerans has been identified by PCR from wetland water, plant biofilms and detritus, and recently cultured from aquatic bugs (Hemiptera). These insects commonly bite humans and have been shown to transmit M. ulcerans to mice via their bite. There is a poor understanding of the associations between BU outbreaks, the limnological and biological characteristics of nearby water-bodies, and the habitat and biology of populations of biting water bugs and other aquatic invertebrates that may play a role in the ecological distribution and potential transmission of M. ulcerans. The proposed study takes a systematic, spatially-explicit hierarchical approach to determine these associations in regions of Ghana, Africa. A foodweb-based hypothesis is proposed to determine the extent of M. uclerans within the aquatic invertebrate trophic community of standing waterbodies in BU endemic and non-endemic areas. The study will identify the trophic relationships and links of potential aquatic invertebrate M. ulcerans reservoirs to macrophyte biofilms using PCR. Data from identified invertebrate reservoirs will be analyzed with landscape features (e.g., deforestation, agriculture), BU incidence, and limnological and biological characteristics of waterbodies to better understand the epidemiology of this important emerging disease.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Small Research Grants (R03)
Project #
1R03AI062719-01A1
Application #
6968013
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-VB (01))
Program Officer
Jacobs, Gail G
Project Start
2005-08-15
Project End
2007-07-31
Budget Start
2005-08-15
Budget End
2006-07-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2005
Total Cost
$66,830
Indirect Cost
Name
Michigan State University
Department
Zoology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
193247145
City
East Lansing
State
MI
Country
United States
Zip Code
48824
Eric Benbow, M; Kimbirauskas, Ryan; McIntosh, Mollie D et al. (2014) Aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages of Ghana, West Africa: understanding the ecology of a neglected tropical disease. Ecohealth 11:168-83
Roche, Benjamin; Benbow, M Eric; Merritt, Richard et al. (2013) Identifying the Achilles' heel of multi-host pathogens: The concept of keystone ""host"" species illustrated by Mycobacterium ulcerans transmission. Environ Res Lett 8:045009
Wallace, John R; Gordon, Matthew C; Hartsell, Lindsey et al. (2010) Interaction of Mycobacterium ulcerans with mosquito species: implications for transmission and trophic relationships. Appl Environ Microbiol 76:6215-22
Fyfe, Janet A M; Lavender, Caroline J; Handasyde, Kathrine A et al. (2010) A major role for mammals in the ecology of Mycobacterium ulcerans. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 4:e791
Lavender, Caroline J; Stinear, Timothy P; Johnson, Paul D R et al. (2008) Evaluation of VNTR typing for the identification of Mycobacterium ulcerans in environmental samples from Victoria, Australia. FEMS Microbiol Lett 287:250-5
Benbow, M Eric; Williamson, Heather; Kimbirauskas, Ryan et al. (2008) Aquatic invertebrates as unlikely vectors of Buruli ulcer disease. Emerg Infect Dis 14:1247-54
Wagner, Tyler; Benbow, M Eric; Burns, Meghan et al. (2008) A Landscape-based model for predicting Mycobacterium ulcerans infection (Buruli Ulcer disease) presence in Benin, West Africa. Ecohealth 5:69-79