Australian Buruli Patients (04:53)

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Buruli ulcers, a form of the flesh eating bacteria Mycobacterium ulcerans, destroy flesh and are incurable. A recent outbreak in the coastal town of Point Lansdale, Australia has Paul Johnson on the hunt for the source of the bacteria.

Providing for Developing Countries (03:31)

Australian research will hopefully spread to the developing world, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the disease is more prevalent. Ulcerans, according to Dr, Janet Fyfe, are closely related to diseases like Leprosy and Tuberculosis, but are not viral but are transferred from the environment to humans.

Discovering the Infected Areas (08:41)

Johnson has found endemic areas tend to be coastal and low-lying; a team of scientists have discovered Mycobacterium ulcerans in the drainage systems, lakes, and mosquitos found in Point Lonsdale. In the lab, Johnson pinpoints risk factors for contracting the disease.

Buruli Treatment in the Future (04:36)

Buruli ulcers are often misdiagnosed even in the western world; Duncan Sandell’s misdiagnosis lead to delayed treatment, allowing the bacteria to further injure him. New studies are attempting a vaccine which will produce antibodies to neutralize the toxin produced by the micro-bacteria, but this endeavor will not be profitable for pharmaceutical companies.

Credits: Mystery Ulcers (00:09)

Credits: Mystery Ulcers