@article{fdi:010062295,
  title = {{M}ycobacterium ulcerans ecological dynamics and its association with freshwater ecosystems and aquatic communities : results from a 12-month environmental survey in {C}ameroon},
  author = {{G}architorena, {A}ndres and {R}oche, {B}enjamin and {K}amgang, {R}. and {O}ssomba, {J}. and {B}abonneau, {J}. and {L}andier, {J}. and {F}ontanet, {A}. and {F}lahault, {A}. and {E}yangoh, {S}. and {G}u{\'e}gan, {J}ean-{F}ran{\c{c}}ois and {M}arsollier, {L}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{B}ackground: {M}ycobacterium ulcerans ({MU}) is the agent responsible for {B}uruli {U}lcer ({BU}), an emerging skin disease with dramatic socioeconomic and health outcomes, especially in rural settings. {BU} emergence and distribution is linked to aquatic ecosystems in tropical and subtropical countries, especially to swampy and flooded areas. {A}quatic animal organisms are likely to play a role either as host reservoirs or vectors of the bacilli. {H}owever, information on {MU} ecological dynamics, both in space and time, is dramatically lacking. {A}s a result, the ecology of the disease agent, and consequently its mode of transmission, remains largely unknown, which jeopardizes public health attempts for its control. {T}he objective of this study was to gain insight on {MU} environmental distribution and colonization of aquatic organisms through time. {M}ethodology/{P}rincipal {F}indings: {L}ongitudinal sampling of 32 communities of aquatic macro-invertebrates and vertebrates was conducted from different environments in two {BU} endemic regions in {C}ameroon during 12 months. {A}s a result, 238,496 individuals were classified and {MU} presence was assessed by q{PCR} in 3,084 sample-pools containing these aquatic organisms. {O}ur study showed a broad distribution of {MU} in all ecosystems and taxonomic groups, with important regional differences in its occurrence. {C}olonization dynamics fluctuated along the year, with the highest peaks in {A}ugust and {O}ctober. {T}he large variations observed in the colonization dynamics of different taxonomic groups and aquatic ecosystems suggest that the trends shown here are the result of complex ecological processes that need further investigation. {C}onclusion/{P}erspectives: {T}his is the largest field study on {MU} ecology to date, providing the first detailed description of its spatio-temporal dynamics in different aquatic ecosystems within {BU} endemic regions. {W}e argue that coupling this data with fine-scale epidemiological data through statistical and mathematical models will provide a major step forward in the understanding of {MU} ecology and mode of transmission.},
  keywords = {{CAMEROUN}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{P}los {N}eglected {T}ropical {D}iseases},
  volume = {8},
  numero = {5},
  pages = {e2879},
  ISSN = {1935-2735},
  year = {2014},
  DOI = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0002879},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010062295},
}