Direct detection of Mycobacterium ulcerans in clinical specimens and environmental samples

Mycobacterium ulcerans is a slow-growing environmental bacterium that causes a severe skin disease known as Buruli ulcer. Rapid detection of M. ulcerans in clinical specimens is essential to ensure early diagnosis and prevention of disability. This chapter describes a real-time PCR method for the direct detection of M. ulcerans from swabs, fresh tissue biopsies, and fixed tissue sections, which are the most common types of specimens used in the diagnosis of Buruli ulcer. The chapter also briefly describes methods for PCR detection of M. ulcerans in environmental samples, as reliable detection of M. ulcerans in the environment is becoming increasingly important for understanding the ecology and transmission of this important pathogen.