ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2012
Amoebae as potential environmental hosts for Mycobacterium ulcerans and other mycobacteria, but doubtful actors in Buruli ulcer epidemiology.
Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
26 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 44 citations in OpenAlex.
- A need for null models in understanding disease transmission: the example of Mycobacterium ulcerans (Buruli ulcer disease).FEMS microbiology reviews · 2022Pooled it
- Volatile organic compound detection of Buruli ulcer disease: Headspace analysis of Mycobacterium ulcerans and used gauzes of Buruli-compatible ulcers.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2024Article
- Amoebae: beyond pathogens- exploring their benefits and future potential.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2024Review
- Isolation and Genomic Analysis of an Intracellular Mycobacterium gordonae from a Free-LivingMicrobiology resource announcements · 2022Article
- Linking theOne health (Amsterdam, Netherlands) · 2021Review
- Understanding the transmission of Mycobacterium ulcerans: A step towards controlling Buruli ulcer.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2021Review
- Experimental Listeria-Tetrahymena-Amoeba food chain functioning depends on bacterial virulence traits.BMC ecology · 2019Article
- A protocol for culturing environmental strains of the Buruli ulcer agent, Mycobacterium ulcerans.Scientific reports · 2018Article
- Buruli Ulcer, a Prototype for Ecosystem-Related Infection, Caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans.Clinical microbiology reviews · 2018Review
- Article
- Seasonal Pattern of Mycobacterium ulcerans, the Causative Agent of Buruli Ulcer, in the Environment in Ghana.Microbial ecology · 2017Article
- Ecology and Feeding Habits Drive Infection of Water Bugs with Mycobacterium ulcerans.EcoHealth · 2017Article
- Multiple Introductions and Recent Spread of the Emerging Human Pathogen Mycobacterium ulcerans across Africa.Genome biology and evolution · 2017Article
- Article
- Evidences of the Low Implication of Mosquitoes in the Transmission ofThe Canadian journal of infectious diseases & medical microbiology = Journal canadien des maladies infectieuses et de la microbiologie medicale · 2017Review
- Isolation of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria from the Environment of Ghanian Communities Where Buruli Ulcer Is Endemic.Applied and environmental microbiology · 2016Article
- Spatiotemporal Co-existence of Two Mycobacterium ulcerans Clonal Complexes in the Offin River Valley of Ghana.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2016Article
- Taxonomy, Physiology, and Natural Products of Actinobacteria.Microbiology and molecular biology reviews : MMBR · 2016Review
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- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 5 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe reservoir and mode of transmission of Mycobacterium ulcerans, the causative agent of Buruli ulcer, remain unknown. Ecological, genetic and epidemiological information nonetheless suggests that M. ulcerans may reside in aquatic protozoa. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL
findingsWe experimentally infected Acanthamoeba polyphaga with M. ulcerans and found that the bacilli were phagocytised, not digested and remained viable for the duration of the experiment. Furthermore, we collected 13 water, 90 biofilm and 45 detritus samples in both Buruli ulcer endemic and non-endemic communities in Ghana, from which we cultivated amoeboid protozoa and mycobacteria. M. ulcerans was not isolated, but other mycobacteria were as frequently isolated from intracellular as from extracellular sources, suggesting that they commonly infect amoebae in nature. We screened the samples as well as the amoeba cultures for the M. ulcerans markers IS2404, IS2606 and KR-B. IS2404 was detected in 2% of the environmental samples and in 4% of the amoeba cultures. The IS2404 positive amoeba cultures included up to 5 different protozoan species, and originated both from Buruli ulcer endemic and non-endemic communities. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This is the first report of experimental infection of amoebae with M. ulcerans and of the detection of the marker IS2404 in amoeba cultures isolated from the environment. We conclude that amoeba are potential natural hosts for M. ulcerans, yet remain sceptical about their implication in the transmission of M. ulcerans to humans and their importance in the epidemiology of Buruli ulcer.
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Registered trials
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