WARNING: This post contains a graphic image.
Scientists in Australia have penned a warning urging that more research be done on a mysterious, flesh-eating ulcer that’s becoming more common in the country.
The Buruli ulcer is known to occur in parts of Africa, but cases of the infectious disease have grown exponentially in Australia over the past few years.
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In 2016, there were 182 new cases reported in Australia — the highest number ever reported in the country. And from then, an increase of 51 per cent was seen until November 2017.
“As a community, we are facing a rapidly worsening epidemic of a severe disease without knowing how to prevent it,” states the article, published Monday in the Medical Journal of Australia.
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What is a Buruli ulcer?
Buruli ulcers are caused by a germ called Mycobacterium ulcerans, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which destroys skin and soft tissue.
The illness occurs in different severities — sometimes it is a small lesion, while other times it is larger and can involve joints. Ulcers can occur in people of any age.
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The journal article explains the lesions are not only gruesome to look at, but can be painful and have psychological impacts on patients. In many cases, people have to take days off school or work.
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About 2,000 cases are reported of the disease worldwide each year, and they seem to occur in wetlands areas during warmer months. There are theories that the infection could be spread through insects, or other animals. But scientists don’t know how exactly it is spread.
“Recent evidence indicates that human to human transmission does not occur, although cases are commonly clustered among families,” the article explains.
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Known cases around the world
Buruli ulcer cases are most common in Western African countries, such as Ghana and Nigeria, according to the WHO. But they also occur in Australia and Japan.
In 2016, there were 1,676 reported cases in Africa, and 188 in the Western Pacific region. Cases in most countries are on a decline, the WHO explains.
There have never been any known cases in Canada or the United States.
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What’s the treatment?
Because the means by which the ulcers are transmitted is not known, there are no preventative measures for the disease right now.
Years ago, the only treatment for the infectious disease was surgery. There are more options now.
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Scientists in the medical journal explain that treatment now involves antibiotics such as rifampicin and clarithromycin, but these medications are costly and have side-effects.
Patients with severe cases of Buruli ulcers may also need reconstructive plastic surgery, or have to stay in hospital for lengthy periods of time.
Case of 13-year-old Australian girl
A 13-year-old Australian girl’s battle with the infection is one example of how lengthy the recovery can be.
Ella Crofts of Victoria first noticed symptoms such as a sore knee, but the infection slowly became visible.
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“Slowly it got worse, with my knee becoming swollen and inflamed, until one day, the skin started breaking down,” she said, according to BBC News.
Crofts eventually needed three surgeries and months of antibiotics to recover.
“I’ve had six months of quality medical care and still have not recovered,” she said at the time.
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