2024-01-25 12:06:58
Mosquitoes are the vectors of many viruses. Mosquito-borne diseases include dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis and malaria. Now scientists have discovered another virus, solving a problem that has plagued the academic community for more than 80 years. They confirmed that mosquitoes are responsible for transmitting the flesh-eating bacterium Buruli. (Buruli ulcers).
Buruli ulcer is a serious chronic infection that erodes the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Bacterial toxins attack fat cells under the skin, causing local swelling or lump formation, which can then develop into an ulcer. If the patient does not receive effective diagnosis and treatment , when the disease progresses, it can cause severe tissue destruction, permanent disfigurement, and long-term disability.
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Buruli ulcer is most common in countries with tropical and subtropical climates, but more recently it has also appeared in the temperate southeastern Australian province of Victoria, where cases have increased exponentially over the past 20 years, from 12 cases in 2003 to 2023 The annual increase to 363 cases has prompted researchers from the Institute of Infection and Immunity at the University of Melbourne to launch a study to find the culprit behind the spread, hoping to solve a mystery that has vexed scientists and public health experts for more than 80 years.
Undeterred, the researchers zeroed in on the Mornington Peninsula, 90 kilometers south of Melbourne, which has one of the highest rates of Buruli ulcers in the world. Between 2016 and 2021, they used genomics to capture and test more than 65,000 mosquitoes.
The team found that the bacteria in these mosquitoes were the same as those in patients with ulcers. Lead author and corresponding author Peter Mee said that through gene sequencing, they found that the genetic makeup of Mycobacterium ulcerans in mosquitoes was the same as that of the study patients. This is Key evidence that mosquitoes are the route of transmission.
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Study co-author Paul Johnson said that the team has long suspected that mosquitoes are involved, but there is no precedent for this type of bacterial infection being transmitted by vector mosquitoes, so the team collected sufficient evidence to support the claim. The team believes this research is significant because simple actions, such as using insect repellent and clearing standing water around the house, can reduce the risk of Buruli ulcer spreading.
(The first picture is a schematic diagram, source:Flickr/Tom CC BY 2.0）
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