- 著者
- Kazue Nakanaga Rie Roselyne Yotsu Yoshihiko Hoshino Koichi Suzuki Masahiko Makino Norihisa Ishii
- 出版者
- 国立感染症研究所 Japanese Journal of Infectious Diseases 編集委員会
- 雑誌
- Japanese Journal of Infectious Diseases (ISSN:13446304)
- 巻号頁・発行日
- vol.66, no.2, pp.83-88, 2013 (Released:2013-03-21)
- 参考文献数
- 49
- 被引用文献数
- 6 19
Buruli ulcer (BU) is an emerging human disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, which mainly affects the extremities. It is most endemic in sub-Saharan Africa; however, it has been reported worldwide, including in some non-tropical areas. “M. ulcerans subsp. shinshuense” is proposed as a subspecies of M. ulcerans, which have been reported from Japan and China. A total of 35 BU cases have been reported as of November 2012. Although M. ulcerans is categorized as nontuberculous mycobacteria, it has some unique characteristics that could only be observed in this bacterium. It possesses a giant virulent plasmid, composed of 174-kbp nucleotides, coding polyketide synthase to produce macrolide toxin called mycolactone. The discovery of such a linkage of plasmid and its pathogenesis has not been reported in other human disease-causing mycobacteria.