ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2011
Effect of a control project on clinical profiles and outcomes in buruli ulcer: a before/after study in Bas-Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 23 citations in OpenAlex.
- Drugs for treating Buruli ulcer (Mycobacterium ulcerans disease).The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2018Pooled it
- Methods and Approaches for Buruli Ulcer Surveillance in Africa: Lessons Learnt and Future Directions.Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) · 2022Review
- Skin-specific antibodies neutralizing mycolactone toxin during the spontaneous healing ofScience advances · 2020Article
- Mycobacterium ulcerans Population Genomics To Inform on the Spread of Buruli Ulcer across Central Africa.mSphere · 2019Article
- Buruli Ulcer, a Prototype for Ecosystem-Related Infection, Caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans.Clinical microbiology reviews · 2018Review
- Clinical Epidemiology of Buruli Ulcer from Benin (2005-2013): Effect of Time-Delay to Diagnosis on Clinical Forms and Severe Phenotypes.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2015Article
- Effectiveness of routine BCG vaccination on buruli ulcer disease: a case-control study in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana and Togo.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2015Article
- Treatment Outcome of Patients with Buruli Ulcer Disease in Togo.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2015Article
- Buruli ulcer disease in Republic of the Congo.Emerging infectious diseases · 2014Article
- The mycetoma knowledge gap: identification of research priorities.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2014Review
- Perceptions on the effectiveness of treatment and the timeline of Buruli ulcer influence pre-hospital delay reported by healthy individuals.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2013Article
- Burden of Mycobacterium ulcerans disease (Buruli ulcer) and the underreporting ratio in the territory of Songololo, Democratic Republic of Congo.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2013Article
- Implementation of a national reference laboratory for Buruli ulcer disease in Togo.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2013Article
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundBuruli ulcer (BU) is a necrotizing bacterial infection of skin, subcutaneous tissue and bone caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. Although the functional impairment caused by BU results in severe suffering and in socio-economic problems, the disease remains largely neglected in Africa. The province of Bas-Congo in Democratic Republic of Congo contains one of the most important BU foci of the country, i.e. the Songololo Territory in the District of Cataractes. This study aims to assess the impact of a BU control project launched in 2004 in the Songololo Territory.
methodsWe used a comparative non-randomized study design, comparing clinical profiles and outcomes of the group of patients admitted at the General Reference Hospital (GRH) of the "Institut Médical Evangélique" (IME) of Kimpese 3 years before the start of the project (2002-2004) with those admitted during the 3 years after the start of the project (2005-2007).
resultsThe BU control project was associated with a strong increase in the number of admitted BU cases at the GRH of IME/Kimpese and a fundamental change in the profile of those patients; more female patients presented with BU, the proportion of relapse cases amongst all admissions reduced, the proportion of early lesions and simple ulcerative forms increased, more patients healed without complications and the case fatality rate decreased substantially. The median duration since the onset of first symptoms however remained high, as well as the proportion of patients with osteomyelitis or limitations of joint movement, suggesting that the diagnostic delay remains substantial.
conclusionImplementing a specialized program for BU may be effective in improving clinical profiles and outcomes in BU. Despite these encouraging results, our study highlights the need of considering new strategies to better improve BU control in a low resources setting.
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