Potassium iodide is not used to treat disease caused by M. ulcerans. It is used to prepare one of the several solutions used to stain tissue and blood samples when diagnosing infections caused by this bacteria. Staining these samples allows them to be visualized better under a microscope. While new diagnostic techniques rely on biotechnology, they have not replaced simple microscopic examination.
M. Ulcerans
M. ulcerans stands for Mycobacteria ulcerans. As indicated by the name, it is part of the large family of mycobacteria. These bacteria are aerobic and nonmotile. Aerobic bacteria are dependent upon oxygen to grow and divide. Nonmotile bacteria are incapable of motion. M. ulcerans causes the Buruli ulcer. It was named after the district in Uganda where the disease was first identified. Like leprosy, it destroys skin and soft tissue.
Diagnosis
Buruli ulcers can be diagnosed through microscopic examination. Microscopic examination requires obtaining a tissue sample and staining the sample using a Brown and Hopps stain. Potassium iodide is among the many different chemicals used to prepare this stain. Other diagnostic techniques include polyclonal PCR, or polymerase chain reaction. PCR allows scientists to produce many copies of the DNA that causes the infection, and thereby they can identify it.
Treatment
According to the World Health Organization, or WHO, the best way to eliminate M. ulcerans is with a combination of rifampicin and a mixture of streptomycin and amikacin for an eight-week period. Extreme cases may require surgery to remove dead tissue. In some instances, amputation is necessary if the ulceration is very severe. The WHO reports that disease recurrence occurs in only 2 percent of patients who receive antibiotics. Treatment with surgery alone has a recurrence rate between 16 and 30 percent.
Epidemiology
Buruli ulcers have been identified in at least 31 countries in Africa, Asia, South and Central America and Australia. The WHO reports that approximately 70 percent of those infected are children under 15 years old. People who live near rivers and stagnant bodies of water are at the highest risk. Environmental changes, such as construction of dams and irrigation systems, often increase the risk.
References
- World Health Organization; Buruli Ulcer: Diagnosis of Mycobacterium ulcerans Disease; F. Portaels, et al.; 2001
- "Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology"; William Daniel James, et al.; 2006
- Health Topics A to Z: Buruli Ulcer Disease
- "Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine"; A Modified Brown and Hopps Stain for Identification of Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Microorganisms in Glycol Methacrylate-Embedded Tissues; D.A. Schwartz; February 1989
- University of Utah - Genetics Science Learning Center: PCR Virtual Lab
