Table 2. Summary of activities and behaviours that influence odds of developing Buruli ulcer infection.
Data were taken from case–control studies conducted in regions of Africa endemic for Buruli ulcer. OR refers to the odds of developing Buruli ulcer in cases compared to noninfected controls for “risk factors” and the odds of not developing Buruli ulcer in noninfected individuals compared to infected cases for “protective factors”.
| Factor | OR | 95% Confidence Interval | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Risk factor | |||
| Agricultural contact with surface water | 6.3 | 1.8–21.9 | N’Krumah et al. [118] |
| Recreational contact with surface water | 5.7 | 1.6–20 | Pouillot et al. [119] |
| Washing/bathing in surface water | 7.5 | 2.0–27.8 | N’Krumah et al. [118] |
| 6.9 | 1.4–34.7 | Landier et al. [12] | |
| Absence of protective clothing during agricultural activities | 18.5 | 5.2–66.7 | N’Krumah et al. [118] |
| 15 | 4.2–58 | Pouillot et al. [119] | |
| Receiving insect bites near a river | 7.8 | 1.5–41.2 | Maman et al. [78] |
| Report scratching wounds after insect bites | 2.7 | 1.4–5.4 | Landier et al. [12] |
| Treating wounds with adhesive bandages | 6.4 | 2.2–19 | Pouillot et al. [119] |
| Protective factor | |||
| Infrequent contact with flowing water | 2.1* | 1.4–3.3 | Nackers et al. [120] |
| Washing, bathing, drinking, or cooking with well water | 10* | 2.3–25 | Degnonvi et al. [123] |
| Footwear use | 6.7* | 3.4–13 | Tomczyk et al. [124] |
| Regular use of bed nets | 2.6 | 1.2–6.0 | Pouillot et al. [119] |
| 2.5* | 1.1–5 | Landier et al. [12] | |
| Regularly washing clothing | 5.1 | 1.5–17 | Pouillot et al. [119] |
| Using rubbing alcohol on wounds | 2.2 | 1.0–4.6 | Pouillot et al. [119] |
| Use of soap and good general hygiene | 10* | 3.3–33 | Landier et al. [12] |
| 2.4* | 1.5–4.0 | Nackers et al. [120] | |
| 4.0* | 2.7–5.9 | Nackers et al. [120] | |
| Secondary education or above | 3.6 | 1.3–9.8 | Pouillot et al. [119] |
| Good knowledge of risks that may result in Buruli ulcer | 3.3* | 1.3–10 | N’Krumah et al. [118] |
| Good knowledge of causes of Buruli ulcer | 10* | 3.3–50 | N’Krumah et al. [118] |
*Original data reported as odds of developing Buruli ulcer in cases compared to noninfected controls, converted to odds of not developing Buruli ulcer in noninfected individuals compared to cases.
OR, odds ratio.