Present status of Buruli ulcer in Ghana, West Africa

Abstract

Recently, Buruli ulcer is emerging from the West and Central African countries. The disease come up with necrotizing and immuno-suppressive type ulcer in the skin, subcutaneous tissue and bone, infected by Mycobacterium ulcerans, and shows indolent chronic course as mycobacterial infection, like tuberculosis and Hansen's disease. After the transmission to human, the lesion is usually single and begin as firm, painless, subcutaneous nodule and on any area of human body skin, though most frequently on lower limbs. In countries of West Africa, it is suspected that the disease should be spreading most widely in Ghana. During April and June 1999, Ghana Health Service pick up the new patients by nation-wide examination. The author visited Ghana twice at March and September 1999 and made on-the-spot inspections not only at a community and Ga district Health Service Center in Accra region but also at St. Martin's hospital in Agroyesum, Amanse west district, Ashanti region. At the time, the author did see the present state of Buruli ulcer, i.e. health and medical enlightenment. This report, includes the results due to undergoing nation-wide examination on Buruli ulcer at 2 District in Ghana (List 1 and 2), the present states of the patients and the enlightenment provided by the staffs of Ga district Health Service Center (Photografs 1~14). Staffs working for WHO and Ghana Health Service are tackling to Buruli ulcer problems, but conditions of the patients are very hard because these patients must live in tropical wetlands, poor health, poor medical and poor economic conditions.