Sequelae of World War II: An Outbreak of Chronic Cutaneous Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Infection among Satowanese Islanders

Abstract

"Spam disease" is a chronic, progressive skin disease of high prevalence on Satowan and is associated with taro farming and contact with World War II-era bomb craters. Histopathological and PCR data demonstrate a nontuberculous mycobacterial infection as the cause.