Singh, Avishek, McBride, William John Hannan, Govan, Brenda, Pearson, Mark, and Ritchie, Scott A. (2019) A survey on Mycobacterium ulcerans in mosquitoes and march flies captured from endemic areas of northern Queensland, Australia. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 13 (2). e0006745.

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Abstract

Mycobacterium ulcerans is the causative agent of Buruli ulcer (BU). This nontuberculous mycobacterial infection has been reported in 34 countries worldwide. In Australia, the majority of cases of BU have been recorded in coastal Victoria and the Mossman-Daintree areas of north Queensland. Mosquitoes have been postulated as a vector of M. ulcerans in Victoria, however the specific mode of transmission of this disease is still far from being well understood. In the current study, we trapped and analysed 16,900 (allocated to 845 pools) mosquitoes and 296 March flies from the endemic areas of north Queensland to examine for the presence of M. ulcerans DNA by polymerase chain reaction. Seven of 845 pools of mosquitoes were positive on screening using the IS2404 PCR target (maximum likelihood estimate 0.4/1,000). M. ulcerans DNA was detected from one pool of mosquitoes from which all three PCR targets: IS2404, IS2606 and the ketoreductase B domain of mycolactone polyketide synthase gene were detected. None of the March fly samples were positive for the presence of M. ulcerans DNA.

Author summary The causative agent of Buruli ulcer is Mycobacterium ulcerans. This destructive skin disease is characterized by extensive and painless necrosis of skin and underlying tissues usually on extremities of body due to production of toxin named mycolactone. The disease is prevalent in Africa and coastal Australia. The exact mode of transmission and potential environmental reservoir for the pathogen still remain obscure. Aquatic and biting insects have been identified as potential niche in transmission and maintenance of pathogen in the environment. In this study we screened mosquitoes and march flies captured from endemic areas of northern Queensland for the presence of M. ulcerans DNA. We found seven pools of mosquito out of 845 pools positive for IS2404. In only one of the seven samples were the additional targets IS2606 and KR detected. None of the March fly samples were positive. The results could indicate a low burden of the bacteria in the environment coinciding with a comparatively low number of human cases of M. ulcerans infection seen during the trapping period of the study.

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