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New Bacteria Discovery Offers Hope for Noma Treatment
25 Apr
Summary
- A newly identified Treponema bacteria species was found in Nigerian noma patients.
- Noma is a severe childhood disease fatal in 90% of untreated cases.
- Early detection of this bacteria could prevent disfigurement and death.
A significant breakthrough in understanding noma, a disfiguring and often fatal childhood disease, has been announced with the discovery of a previously unknown bacterial species. This new Treponema bacteria, tentatively named Treponema A, was identified in samples from noma patients in Nigeria by researchers from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. Noma, primarily affecting malnourished children in regions like the Sahel, begins as a mouth sore and can destroy facial tissues, leading to death in 90% of cases if untreated.
