IS2404-Based Genomic Profiling of Mycobacterium ulcerans strains in Southwest, Nigeria: A Preliminary Study

Authors

  • Oke AA Faculty of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Allied Health Sciences, McPherson University, Seriki Sotayo, Ogun State.
  • Ero E Faculty of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Allied Health Sciences, McPherson University, Seriki Sotayo, Ogun State.
  • Ojebode I Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Allied Health Sciences, McPherson University, Seriki Sotayo, Ogun State.
  • Ajani E Faculty of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Allied Health Sciences, McPherson University, Seriki Sotayo, Ogun State.
  • Oni ES Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Health Sciences, Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun State.
  • Akinjinmi AA Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Health and Medical Sciences, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo. Ogun State.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.38029/babcockuniv.med.j..v9i2.768

Keywords:

Genomic profiling, Buruli ulcer, Mycobacterium ulcerans, Southwest Nigeria, IS2404, Sanger sequencing

Abstract

Objectives: Buruli ulcer (BU), caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans (MU), is a necrotising skin disease which has been reported in over 33 countries. The application of bacterial population genomics to the studies of MU has brought about increased knowledge about its evolution and epidemiology.

Method: Nested PCR techniques were deployed to confirm BU among 256 suspected cases from five states in Southwest Nigeria. 157 (61.3%) of the samples were PCR positive for IS2404 of M. ulcerans. Eight (8) randomly selected IS2404-positive samples were subjected to Sanger sequencing due to resource constraints.

Results: All the organisms were identified as M. ulcerans through BLASTn, and the phylogenetic tree showed genetic similarity (˃96%) to SGL03, a reference strain from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Conclusion: This study provides the first IS2404-based genomic profiling of Mycobacterium ulcerans in Nigeria, addressing a critical epidemiological research gap.

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Published

2026-06-30

How to Cite

Oke, A., ERO, E., OJEBODE, I., AJANI, E., ONI, E., & AKINJINMI, A. (2026). IS2404-Based Genomic Profiling of Mycobacterium ulcerans strains in Southwest, Nigeria: A Preliminary Study. Babcock University Medical Journal, 9(2), 81–85. https://doi.org/10.38029/babcockuniv.med.j.v9i2.768

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 2 (2026)

Section

Research Article

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Oke AA, Ero E, Ojebode I, Ajani E, Oni ES, Akinjinmi AA

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.