Aug 06, 2014 04:44 PM EDT By J Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

Climate change could spread a debilitating disease that's prevalent in developing countries, according to a recent study.

Researcher from Bournemouth University in the United Kingdom found that Buruli ulcer, a disease that affects thousands of people every year, mainly in developing countries, could be spread by the changes in rainfall patterns.

The infectious disease can cause fatality or permanent disability. The devastating bacterial infection starts with an area of swelling that becomes ulcerated, causing painful open wounds and necrosis of the skin. It is unknown how the water-borne disease is transmitted.

"Understanding how infection levels respond to climatic factors is hugely important, particularly with poorly understood, emergent diseases such as Buruli ulcer," Aaron Morris, lead investigator of the study, said in a statement. "These links help us shed light on their ecology and enable us to more accurately predict outbreaks. They are also vital in understanding how climate change will affect the dynamics and emergence of pathogens in the future."

For the study, researchers focused on the link between biodiversity and the spread of diseases in humans, with field research conducted in French Guiana focusing on Buruli ulcer.

Researchers said their findings may help predict and prevent future outbreaks of the debilitating infection by predicting future weather patterns in countries that are susceptible to the disease and to fluctuating patterns of rainfall.

The study also paves the way for future research into the impact of biodiversity and climate change on the spread of diseases.

The findings were recently published in Emerging Microbes and Infections.

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