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Mycobacterium Ulcerans Fails To Infect Through Skin Abrasions In A Guinea Pig Infection Model: Implications For Transmission, H R. Williamson, L Mosi, Robert L. Donnell, M Aqqad, R W. Merritt, P L. Small

Robert L Donnell DVM, Ph.D., DACVP College of Veterinary Medicine

Transmission of M. ulcerans, the etiological agent of Buruli ulcer, from the environment to humans remains an enigma despite decades of research. Major transmission hypotheses propose 1) that M. ulcerans is acquired through an insect bite or 2) that bacteria enter an existing wound through exposure to a contaminated environment. In studies reported here, a guinea pig infection model was developed to determine whether Buruli ulcer could be produced through passive inoculation of M. ulcerans onto a superficial abrasion. The choice of an abrasion model was based on the fact that most bacterial pathogens infecting the skin are able to …