Mosquitoes provide a transmission route between possums and humans for Buruli ulcer in southeastern Australia

Peter T Mee; Andrew H Buultjens; Jane Oliver; Karen Brown; Jodie C Crowder; Jessica L Porter; Emma C Hobbs; Louise M Judd; George Taiaroa; Natsuda Puttharak; Deborah A Williamson; Kim R Blasdell; Ee Laine Tay; Rebecca Feldman; Mutizwa Odwell Muzari; Chris Sanders; Stuart Larsen; Simon R Crouch; Paul D R Johnson; John R Wallace; David J Price; Ary A Hoffmann; Katherine B Gibney; Timothy P Stinear; Stacey E Lynch

doi:10.1038/s41564-023-01553-1

Mosquitoes provide a transmission route between possums and humans for Buruli ulcer in southeastern Australia

Peter T Mee^*, Andrew H Buultjens, Jane Oliver, Karen Brown, Jodie C Crowder, Jessica L Porter, Emma C Hobbs, Louise M Judd, George Taiaroa, Natsuda Puttharak, Deborah A Williamson, Kim R Blasdell, Ee Laine Tay, Rebecca Feldman, Mutizwa Odwell Muzari, Chris Sanders, Stuart Larsen, Simon R Crouch, Paul D R Johnson, John R WallaceDavid J Price, Ary A Hoffmann, Katherine B Gibney, Timothy P Stinear, Stacey E Lynch

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Buruli ulcer, a chronic subcutaneous infection caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, is increasing in prevalence in southeastern Australia. Possums are a local wildlife reservoir for M. ulcerans and, although mosquitoes have been implicated in transmission, it remains unclear how humans acquire infection. We conducted extensive field survey analyses of M. ulcerans prevalence among mosquitoes in the Mornington Peninsula region of southeastern Australia. PCR screening of trapped mosquitoes revealed a significant association between M. ulcerans and Aedes notoscriptus. Spatial scanning statistics revealed overlap between clusters of M. ulcerans-positive Ae. notoscriptus, M. ulcerans-positive possum excreta and Buruli ulcer cases, and metabarcoding analyses showed individual mosquitoes had fed on humans and possums. Bacterial genomic analysis confirmed shared single-nucleotide-polymorphism profiles for M. ulcerans detected in mosquitoes, possum excreta and humans. These findings indicate Ae. notoscriptus probably transmit M. ulcerans in southeastern Australia and highlight mosquito control as a Buruli ulcer prevention measure.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	377-389
Number of pages	13
Journal	Nature Microbiology
Volume	9
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-023-01553-1
Publication status	Published - 23 Jan 2024

Keywords

Animals
Humans
Buruli ulcer/epidemiology
Mycobacterium ulcerans/genetics
Australia
Genome, Bacterial
Aedes/genetics

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Publisher correction: Mosquitoes provide a transmission route between possums and humans for Buruli ulcer in southeastern Australia
Mee, P. T., Buultjens, A. H., Oliver, J., Brown, K., Crowder, J. C., Porter, J. L., Hobbs, E. C., Judd, L. M., Taiaroa, G., Puttharak, N., Williamson, D. A., Blasdell, K. R., Tay, E. L., Feldman, R., Muzari, M. O., Sanders, C., Larsen, S., Crouch, S. R., Johnson, P. D. R. & Wallace, J. R. & 5 others, Price, D. J., Hoffmann, A. A., Gibney, K. B., Stinear, T. P. & Lynch, S. E., Sept 2024, In: Nature Microbiology. 9, 9, p. 2463
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Mee, P. T., Buultjens, A. H., Oliver, J., Brown, K., Crowder, J. C., Porter, J. L., Hobbs, E. C., Judd, L. M., Taiaroa, G., Puttharak, N., Williamson, D. A., Blasdell, K. R., Tay, E. L., Feldman, R., Muzari, M. O., Sanders, C., Larsen, S., Crouch, S. R., Johnson, P. D. R., ... Lynch, S. E. (2024). Mosquitoes provide a transmission route between possums and humans for Buruli ulcer in southeastern Australia. Nature Microbiology, 9(2), 377-389. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-023-01553-1

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title = "Mosquitoes provide a transmission route between possums and humans for Buruli ulcer in southeastern Australia",

abstract = "Buruli ulcer, a chronic subcutaneous infection caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, is increasing in prevalence in southeastern Australia. Possums are a local wildlife reservoir for M. ulcerans and, although mosquitoes have been implicated in transmission, it remains unclear how humans acquire infection. We conducted extensive field survey analyses of M. ulcerans prevalence among mosquitoes in the Mornington Peninsula region of southeastern Australia. PCR screening of trapped mosquitoes revealed a significant association between M. ulcerans and Aedes notoscriptus. Spatial scanning statistics revealed overlap between clusters of M. ulcerans-positive Ae. notoscriptus, M. ulcerans-positive possum excreta and Buruli ulcer cases, and metabarcoding analyses showed individual mosquitoes had fed on humans and possums. Bacterial genomic analysis confirmed shared single-nucleotide-polymorphism profiles for M. ulcerans detected in mosquitoes, possum excreta and humans. These findings indicate Ae. notoscriptus probably transmit M. ulcerans in southeastern Australia and highlight mosquito control as a Buruli ulcer prevention measure.",

keywords = "Animals, Humans, Buruli ulcer/epidemiology, Mycobacterium ulcerans/genetics, Australia, Genome, Bacterial, Aedes/genetics",

author = "Mee, {Peter T} and Buultjens, {Andrew H} and Jane Oliver and Karen Brown and Crowder, {Jodie C} and Porter, {Jessica L} and Hobbs, {Emma C} and Judd, {Louise M} and George Taiaroa and Natsuda Puttharak and Williamson, {Deborah A} and Blasdell, {Kim R} and Tay, {Ee Laine} and Rebecca Feldman and Muzari, {Mutizwa Odwell} and Chris Sanders and Stuart Larsen and Crouch, {Simon R} and Johnson, {Paul D R} and Wallace, {John R} and Price, {David J} and Hoffmann, {Ary A} and Gibney, {Katherine B} and Stinear, {Timothy P} and Lynch, {Stacey E}",

note = "Funding: This research was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (GNT1152807 and GNT1196396) to E.L.T., S.R.C., P.D.R.J., A.A.H., K.B.G., T.P.S. and S.E.L., Investigator Award (GNT1194325) to T.P.S and Investigator Award (MRF1193727) to K.B.G. The Millersville University Faculty Grant and Sabbatical Leave Grant Program supported J.R.W.",

year = "2024",

month = jan,

day = "23",

doi = "10.1038/s41564-023-01553-1",

language = "English",

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Mee, PT, Buultjens, AH, Oliver, J, Brown, K, Crowder, JC, Porter, JL, Hobbs, EC, Judd, LM, Taiaroa, G, Puttharak, N, Williamson, DA, Blasdell, KR, Tay, EL, Feldman, R, Muzari, MO, Sanders, C, Larsen, S, Crouch, SR, Johnson, PDR, Wallace, JR, Price, DJ, Hoffmann, AA, Gibney, KB, Stinear, TP & Lynch, SE 2024, 'Mosquitoes provide a transmission route between possums and humans for Buruli ulcer in southeastern Australia', Nature Microbiology, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 377-389. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-023-01553-1

TY - JOUR

T1 - Mosquitoes provide a transmission route between possums and humans for Buruli ulcer in southeastern Australia

AU - Mee, Peter T

AU - Buultjens, Andrew H

AU - Oliver, Jane

AU - Brown, Karen

AU - Crowder, Jodie C

AU - Porter, Jessica L

AU - Hobbs, Emma C

AU - Judd, Louise M

AU - Taiaroa, George

AU - Puttharak, Natsuda

AU - Williamson, Deborah A

AU - Blasdell, Kim R

AU - Tay, Ee Laine

AU - Feldman, Rebecca

AU - Muzari, Mutizwa Odwell

AU - Sanders, Chris

AU - Larsen, Stuart

AU - Crouch, Simon R

AU - Johnson, Paul D R

AU - Wallace, John R

AU - Price, David J

AU - Hoffmann, Ary A

AU - Gibney, Katherine B

AU - Stinear, Timothy P

AU - Lynch, Stacey E

N1 - Funding: This research was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (GNT1152807 and GNT1196396) to E.L.T., S.R.C., P.D.R.J., A.A.H., K.B.G., T.P.S. and S.E.L., Investigator Award (GNT1194325) to T.P.S and Investigator Award (MRF1193727) to K.B.G. The Millersville University Faculty Grant and Sabbatical Leave Grant Program supported J.R.W.

PY - 2024/1/23

Y1 - 2024/1/23

N2 - Buruli ulcer, a chronic subcutaneous infection caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, is increasing in prevalence in southeastern Australia. Possums are a local wildlife reservoir for M. ulcerans and, although mosquitoes have been implicated in transmission, it remains unclear how humans acquire infection. We conducted extensive field survey analyses of M. ulcerans prevalence among mosquitoes in the Mornington Peninsula region of southeastern Australia. PCR screening of trapped mosquitoes revealed a significant association between M. ulcerans and Aedes notoscriptus. Spatial scanning statistics revealed overlap between clusters of M. ulcerans-positive Ae. notoscriptus, M. ulcerans-positive possum excreta and Buruli ulcer cases, and metabarcoding analyses showed individual mosquitoes had fed on humans and possums. Bacterial genomic analysis confirmed shared single-nucleotide-polymorphism profiles for M. ulcerans detected in mosquitoes, possum excreta and humans. These findings indicate Ae. notoscriptus probably transmit M. ulcerans in southeastern Australia and highlight mosquito control as a Buruli ulcer prevention measure.

AB - Buruli ulcer, a chronic subcutaneous infection caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, is increasing in prevalence in southeastern Australia. Possums are a local wildlife reservoir for M. ulcerans and, although mosquitoes have been implicated in transmission, it remains unclear how humans acquire infection. We conducted extensive field survey analyses of M. ulcerans prevalence among mosquitoes in the Mornington Peninsula region of southeastern Australia. PCR screening of trapped mosquitoes revealed a significant association between M. ulcerans and Aedes notoscriptus. Spatial scanning statistics revealed overlap between clusters of M. ulcerans-positive Ae. notoscriptus, M. ulcerans-positive possum excreta and Buruli ulcer cases, and metabarcoding analyses showed individual mosquitoes had fed on humans and possums. Bacterial genomic analysis confirmed shared single-nucleotide-polymorphism profiles for M. ulcerans detected in mosquitoes, possum excreta and humans. These findings indicate Ae. notoscriptus probably transmit M. ulcerans in southeastern Australia and highlight mosquito control as a Buruli ulcer prevention measure.

KW - Animals

KW - Humans

KW - Buruli ulcer/epidemiology

KW - Mycobacterium ulcerans/genetics

KW - Australia

KW - Genome, Bacterial

KW - Aedes/genetics

U2 - 10.1038/s41564-023-01553-1

DO - 10.1038/s41564-023-01553-1

M3 - Article

C2 - 38263454

SN - 2058-5276

VL - 9

SP - 377

EP - 389

JO - Nature Microbiology

JF - Nature Microbiology

IS - 2

ER -

Mosquitoes provide a transmission route between possums and humans for Buruli ulcer in southeastern Australia

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Keywords

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Publisher correction: Mosquitoes provide a transmission route between possums and humans for Buruli ulcer in southeastern Australia

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