Mycobacterium ulcerans population genomics to inform on the spread of Buruli ulcer across central Africa

Buruli ulcer is a neglected tropical disease of skin and subcutaneous tissue caused by infection with the pathogen Mycobacterium ulcerans. We used genomics to reconstruct in detail the evolutionary trajectory and dynamics of M. ulcerans populations at the central African scale, and at smaller geographical village scales. WGS data were analyzed from 179 M. ulcerans strains isolated from all Buruli ulcer foci in DRC, The Republic of Congo, and Angola that have ever yielded positive M. ulcerans cultures.