POINT Lonsdale Civic Association members will hear from Professor Paul Johnson next month when he speaks about the Burili Ulcer (also known as the Bairnsdale Ulcer).
\nCommunity members are invited to join the PLCA Member Meeting, where Professor Johnson, deputy director of the infectious diseases department at Austin Health, will speak on October 18.
\nPLCA president David Kenwood said Professor Johnson was the lead medical scientist and member of the team which received 1.5 million dollars from the National Health and Medical Research Council to further the research not only into the method of infection transfer, but also into treatment for this disease on both the Mornington and Bellarine peninsulas.
\n\u201cProfessor Johnson\u2019s team also have a particular interest in Point Lonsdale, and the incidence of the ulcer here,\u201d Mr Kenwood said.
\n\u201cThis talk should provide all those present with a better understanding of the disease, its spread and treatment.
\n\u201cWhile Mycobacterium ulcerans infection \u2013 or Buruli ulcer as it\u2019s more commonly known \u2013 predominates in West Africa, cases have been increasing exponentially in coastal Victoria, specifically the Bellarine and Mornington Peninsulas, with 275 cases recorded in 2017.\u201d
\nTwo decades of collaborative research has identified mosquitos as the vectors of the disease to humans and possums as the wildlife reservoir.
\nBuruli ulcer is a destructive skin and soft tissue infection that can lead to permanent functional or cosmetic deformity.
\nTreatment for it is complex, requiring multiple antibiotics for prolonged periods and occasionally reparative surgery.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
POINT Lonsdale Civic Association members will hear from Professor Paul Johnson next month when he speaks about the Burili Ulcer (also known as the Bairnsdale Ulcer). Community members are invited to join the PLCA Member Meeting, where Professor Johnson, deputy director of the infectious diseases department at Austin Health, will speak on October 18. PLCA […]<\/p>\n