Mycobacterium ulcerans in mosquitoes captured during outbreak of Buruli ulcer, southeastern Australia.
Buruli ulcer (BU) occurs in >30 countries. The causative organism, Mycobacterium ulcerans, is acquired from the environment, but the exact mode of transmission is unknown. We investigated an outbreak of BU in a small coastal town in southeastern Australia and screened by PCR mosquitoes caught there. All cases of BU were confirmed by culture or PCR. Mosquitoes were trapped in multiple locations during a 26-month period. BU developed in 48 residents of Point Lonsdale/Queenscliff and 31 visitors from January 2001 through April 2007. We tested 11,504 mosquitoes trapped at Point Lonsdale (predominantly Aedes camptorhynchus). Forty-eight pools (5 species) were positive for insertion sequence IS2404 (maximum likelihood estimate 4.3/1,000), and we confirmed the presence of M. ulcerans in a subset of pools by detection of 3 additional PCR targets.
Johnson
Paul D R
PD
Infectious Disease Department, Austin Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. paul.johnson@austin.org.au
Azuolas
Joseph
J
Lavender
Caroline J
CJ
Wishart
Elwyn
E
Stinear
Timothy P
TP
Hayman
John A
JA
Brown
Lynne
L
Jenkin
Grant A
GA
Fyfe
Janet A M
JA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D054312:Buruli Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D009033:Culicidae / Q000382:microbiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019911:Mycobacterium ulcerans / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods