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The Guardian World1 min read
‘Astonishing’ discovery could help save children from deadly disfiguring condition
TL;DR
Researchers have discovered a new bacteria that may improve prevention, detection, and treatment of noma, a deadly childhood disease. Noma primarily affects malnourished children and is fatal in 90% of untreated cases.
Key points
- Discovery of new bacteria may improve noma treatment
- Noma is fatal in 90% of untreated cases
- Affects mainly young, malnourished children
- Most cases reported in the Sahel region of Africa
- Survivors face lifelong scarring and disfigurement
Mentioned in this story
Liverpool School of Tropical MedicineNigeria
noma
The “astonishing” discovery of a new bacteria could open the door to better ways to prevent, detect and treat a fatal and disfiguring childhood disease, researchers hope.
Noma, which is fatal in 90% of cases without treatment, begins as a sore on the gums but goes on to destroy the tissues of the mouth and face.
It mainly affects young, poor and malnourished children, and has been called the “face of poverty”. Those that survive are left with lifelong scarring and disfigurement. Data on noma is patchy, but expert estimates put case numbers at tens of thousands every year. Most cases are reported in the Sahel region of Africa, but it also occurs in other parts of the world.
While it can be successfully treated with broad spectrum antibiotics, pointing to a bacterial culprit, the precise underlying cause of noma, classified as a neglected tropical disease, has never been established.
Research led by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine set out to study the community of bacteria living in noma patients’ mouths, using samples taken from 19 children in Nigeria.
Modern genetic analysis techniques revealed an apparently disturbed community of microbes, with lower levels of normal, healthy bacteria, but other strains greatly increased. Deeper analysis uncovered a previously undescribed species of Treponema bacteria in most of the noma patient samples.
When Angus O’Ferrall, the PhD student who had put the data together and found the species in the samples, presented the results, Prof Adam Roberts, a senior author on the study, said it was “a great reveal”. “I was astonished,” he said.
The scientists went on to reanalyse older samples from other noma patients, and found the Treponema bacteria – currently called Treponema A – was also present in those.
“We don’t know causality,” stressed Roberts. “We don’t know if it can colonise a noma wound, because of the architecture and the environment, or if it causes the noma wound.”
The team is now trying to answer that question with a larger study that will use samples from more noma patients and healthy individuals in the same communities, across multiple countries.
Q&A
What is noma and why is it considered deadly?
Noma is a fatal childhood disease that begins as a gum sore and can destroy facial tissues, with a 90% fatality rate without treatment.
How does the new bacteria discovery impact noma treatment?
The discovery of a new bacteria could lead to better methods for preventing, detecting, and treating noma, which has been challenging due to its neglected status.
Where is noma most commonly found?
Noma primarily affects young, malnourished children in the Sahel region of Africa, although cases are reported in other parts of the world.
What are the long-term effects of surviving noma?
Children who survive noma often face lifelong scarring and disfigurement, significantly impacting their quality of life.
