Detection of Mycobacterium ulcerans DNA in water bugs collected outside the aquatic environment in Benin

Hosting of Mycobacterium ulcerans by water bugs is now well established and their vectoring role has been demonstrated experimentally. These findings were recently corroborated by detection of viable bacilli in the saliva of wild water bugs. However, the extent of water bug involvement in M. ulcerans ecology remains unclear and difficult to evaluate due to lack of understanding about water bug biology. The purpose of this study is to describe the first detection of M. ulcerans DNA in the tissue of water bugs captured outside the aquatic environment. This finding supports the hypothesis that water bug migratory behavior contributes not only to the spread of M. ulcerans but also to transmission outside the aquatic environment.