Sometimes the ulcer will heal itself, but usually does so in a disconfiguring way. Antibiotics have not yet worked. Treatment is expensive, and long. No race is immune. It is not communicable from patient to patient.
Environmental factors appear to play a role.
Ghana's Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research is playing a lead research role with the US Centers for Disease Control. April 29, 2001. If you're a back-packer who travels the world, you might already know about bilharzia. It's an infection caused by parasitic worms and occurs when your skin comes in contact with contaminated fresh water. It is easily treated and cured, but it can be a killer if left untreated.