Transmission

How do people get Buruli ulcer?

It is not known how people get Buruli ulcer.

One possibility is that the disease is passed to humans from some insects that are found in water. While no proven link exists between human and animal infection, some animals can get the disease.

For example, laboratory tests from Victoria, Australia, confirmed the disease in several animals, including:

Horses
Dogs
Alpacas
Koalas
Possums

Image of dog, horse, alpacas, koala bear, and opposum.

Page last reviewed: March 4, 2021

Content source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology (DHCPP)