Buruli Ulcer

Buruli ulcer is an infectious disease that causes painless open wounds and is limited to particular areas of the world, occurring mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Australia. Infection begins with a small, painless nodule or area of swelling, usually on an arm or leg, which grows over days to weeks into an open ulcer; deep ulcers can scar underlying muscle and tendon and cause lasting disability. The disease is caused by skin infection with the bacterium Mycobacterium ulcerans, though exactly how the bacterium passes from the environment to humans remains unclear.