Observer et comparer les points d’eau fréquentés en milieu villageois : vers une meilleure compréhension des mécanismes de transmission de la maladie de l’ulcère de Buruli au sud-est du Bénin

Buruli ulcer is one of the 17 neglected tropical infectious diseases in the world. It is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium ulcerans and its symptoms are necrotizing cutaneous lesions that can reach bones. Buruli ulcer affects populations (mainly women and children) living in rural areas of west and central Africa. Nowadays, early diagnosis combined with antibiotic treatment and appropriate wound care can keep the infection under control and prevent permanent lesions such as amputations or disabling retractions of one or several limbs. However, this care strategy is often ineffective in the endemic areas because the formulation of an appropriate and effective preventive strategy also requires the precise identification of what makes an aquatic environment favourable to M. ulcerans. To date, only open surface stagnant waters or slow running waters have been identified at risk. Therefore, we propose to observe and characterize water points that are used by villagers for domestic uses. The main goal of this study is to investigate if the variations in the use of unprotected water sources can be related with variations of the incidence of Buruli ulcer in two districts located in the southeast of Benin.