As the World marks the annual Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Day, Buruli ulcer remains one of the most mysterious NTDs globally with the mode of transmission to humans remaining unknown.

Reported in 33 countries across the world, the disease, which mainly affects the skin and bone,  is caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans – a germ (bacteria) belonging to the family of those that cause tuberculosis and leprosy, according to  Michael Frimpong, a lecturer at the department of Molecular Medicine at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana.

NTDs: Increased Effort Needed to Improve Diagnosis of Buruli Ulcer