Buruli ulcer recurrence, Benin

Buruli ulcer is a recognized public health problem in West Africa. In Benin, from 1989 to 2001, the Centre Sanitaire et Nutritionnel Gbernoten (CSNG) treated > 2,500 Buruli ulcer patients. From March 2000 to February 2001, field trips were conducted in the Zou and Atlantique regions. The choice of the 2 regions was based on the distance from CSNG and on villages with the highest number of patients treated at CSNG. A total of 66 (44.0%) of 150 former patients treated at CSNG were located in the visited villages. The recurrence rate of CSNG-treated patients after a follow-up period of up to 7 years was low (6.1%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.0-15.6). We attribute. this low rate to the high quality of Buruli ulcer treatment at an accessible regional center (CSNG). The World Health Organization definition. of a Buruli ulcer recurrent case should be revised to include a follow-up period > 1 year.