News Ecosystems

Losing tropical forest might raise risks of human skin ulcers, deformed bones

Bacteria causing Buruli disease prosper with certain landscape changes

buruli ulcer

FOREST CHANGE  Clearing forests and changing landscapes might affect how many people develop Buruli ulcer. The disease is caused by bacteria shown here (in red) in a section of otherwise healthy mouse tissue (in blue).

Angèle Bénard, Claudia Sala and Gerd Pluschke/PLOS ONE 2016

By Susan Milius

- More than 2 years ago

Clearing tropical forests may raise the risk of people being exposed to a gruesome disease called Buruli ulcer, a new study suggests.