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Volume 31, Number 3—March 2025
Dispatch

Mycobacterium ulcerans in Possum Feces before Emergence in Humans, Australia

Bridgette J. McNamaraComments to Author , Jack Cornish, Kim R. Blasdell, Eugene Athan, Naomi E. Clarke, Tiffany Pe, Mohammad Akhtar Hussain, Michael Muleme, Ee Laine Tay, Michael Dunn, Victoria Boyd, Anjana Karawita, and Daniel P. O’Brien
Author affiliation: Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia (B.J. McNamara, J. Cornish, E. Athan, N.E. Clarke, T. Pe, M.A. Hussain, M. Muleme, D.P. O'Brien); Centre for Innovation in Infectious Disease and Immunology Research, Geelong (B.J. McNamara, E. Athan, M.A. Hussain, M. Muleme, D.P. O'Brien); The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (B.J. McNamara, D.P. O'Brien); CSIRO Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, Geelong (K.R. Blasdell, M. Dunn, V. Boyd, A. Karawita); Deakin University, Geelong (E. Athan, T. Pe, M.A. Hussain); Victoria Department of Health, Melbourne (E.L. Tay)

Main Article

Table 2

Proximity and timing of human cases of Buruli ulcer in areas with Mycobacterium ulcerans–positive possum fecal samples collected in 2020 and 2022, Australia*

Characteristic Cases diagnosed since 2020 Cases within detected clusters Cases not in detected clusters Cases in 2-year follow-up survey area
Total cases
 39
 26
 13
 24
Distance from positive possum fecal sample, meters
Median (IQR) 283 (92–1,025) 199 (88–393) 1177 (209–1,256) 108 (82–263)
Range
 35–1,867
 35–1,531
 70–1,867
 35–405
Proximity
<200 meters 16 (41) 13 (50) 3 (23) 16 (67)
<500 meters
26 (67)
 20 (77)
 6 (46)
 24 (100)
Months between possum detections and cases, median (IQR) 17 (8–29) 19 (8–31) 16 (11–26) 12 (7–28)

*Values are no. (%) except as indicated. Clusters here include the 3 identified clusters (Belmont, Highton, Newtown, as presented in Figure 2, panel C). All fecal samples positive by IS2404 from any of the surveys (presurvey samples September 2019, main 2020 survey, 3-mo, 6-mo or 24-mo, follow-up) were included in the measurement of proximity; the closest sample contributing to these summary measures. †Month calculated as days divided by 30. Two cases with closest proximity samples <100 meters in 2022 (postdiagnosis in 2021) have been excluded from this time calculation, although both had relatively proximal detections (<250 meters) before diagnosis also.

Main Article

Page created: February 04, 2025
Page updated: February 28, 2025
Page reviewed: February 28, 2025
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