Ghanaian Times

Buruli toxin found?Cure in sight

The Ghanaian Times reports in its front page banner story that experts have now identified and isolated the toxin responsible for Buruli Ulcer, a debilitating disease which mostly affects the limbs.

The paper says the discovery could lead to the production of a vaccine against the disease. Until now, the mode of transmission of the disease was unknown, although the causative organism had long been identified.

The Times quotes Dr George Amofa, Deputy Director of Public Health of the Ministry of Health, as saying the positive achievement in addition to the successful identification of some possible transmission agent by researchers, are giant strides towards the eradication of the disease.

The disease, according to doctors, starts as a small painless node on the skin and ends up as an ulcer, which has partially or totally incapacitated hundreds of Ghanaians and cut short the education of many youths, particularly at the most endemic part of the Ashanti Region.