Journal article

Comprehensive Case-Control Study of Protective and Risk Factors for Buruli Ulcer, Southeastern Australia

Bridgette J McNamara, Kim R Blasdell, Arvind Yerramilli, Ina L Smith, Simone L Clayton, Michael Dunn, Ee Laine Tay, Katherine B Gibney, Nilakshi T Waidyatillake, Mohammad A Hussain, Michael Muleme, Daniel P O'Brien, Eugene Athan

Emerging Infectious Diseases | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | Published : 2023

Abstract

To examine protective and risk factors for Buruli ulcer (BU), we conducted a case-control study of 245 adult BU cases and 481 postcode-matched controls across BU-endemic areas of Victoria, Australia. We calculated age- and sex-adjusted odds ratios for socio-environmental, host, and behavioral factors associated with BU by using conditional logistic regression. Odds of BU were >2-fold for persons with diabetes mellitus and persons working outdoors who had soil contact in BU-endemic areas (compared with indoor work) but were lower among persons who had bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccinations. BU was associated with increasing numbers of possums and with ponds and bore water use at residences. Us..

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