Strange Sounds – August 7, 2020
There is currently an outbreak of a tropical disease called Buruli ulcer, which has been centered along a portion of Australia’s southern coast, more precisely in the serene beachside suburbs of Melbourne’s Mornington Peninsula.
Australia has seen occasional cases of the disease since the 1930s. However, since 2017, more than 100 people have been infected with this type of flesh-eating bacteria that is rarely seen in this part of the world.
And Victoria’s recent outbreak has mystified researchers over the past few years, particularly regarding its source and how the disease is being spread.
What is Buruli Ulcer?
The little-known illness is caused by a pathogen known as a mycobacterium (Mycobacterium ulcerans).
It’s named for Buruli county in Uganda, which is where scientists first identified the collection of symptoms as a specific condition.
Once the bacterium enters the skin, it releases a unique toxin known as mycolactone and begins breaking down and consuming flesh, leaving painful and debilitating wounds that can be disfiguring if left untreated.
The bacterium not only damages the tissues it inhabits, but also is able to prevent the immune system from mounting a defense.
That’s the same genus of microorganisms that cause tuberculosis and leprosy, among other illnesses.