Health authorities are on alert after the recent deaths of seven people from soil-borne disease melioidosis in North Queensland.
Hospitals in Townsville and Cairns are seeing a range of problems after the recent floods but the disease, which can be fatal, has caused major concern.
Melioidosis poses a particular risk for older people or those with long-term health problems.
Here’s what you need to know about the disease.
What is it?
Melioidosis is a rare tropical disease that is caused by bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei, Queensland Health says.
The bacteria is usually found in deep soil rising up to muddy surface waters in the wet season.
Most cases of melioidosis occur during the wet season in Northern Australia and South-East Asia during the wet season or after heavy rain or flooding.
How do you get it?
The bacteria enters the body from the soil through cuts and sores, breathing it in or drinking dirty water.
The bacteria does not usually spread from people or animals.
Infection and illness after exposure can happen days or even years later.
Can you die from it?
Three people have died from melioidosis in the Townsville area which follows four deaths from the disease in the Cairns region.
The Townsville Public Health Unit said two elderly people had died from the soil-borne disease on Thursday and one more death occurred “in the past week”.
One of Thursday’s deaths was in Townsville, while the other was in Ingham.
More than 20 cases have been recorded in the Townsville area this month.
Further north, the Cairns region has reported four melioidosis deaths this year in what has been described as an “unprecedented” increase in cases.
The Australian Journal of General Practice says the mortality rate from acute melioidosis is 20 to 50 per cent worldwide.
Mortality is higher in resource-poor settings with limited access to modern diagnostic and ICU facilities.
Townsville Public Health Unit director Steven Donohue told ABC News Tropical North that there is a roughly 10 per cent mortality rate from the disease in Australia.
Melioidosis poses a particular risk for older people or those with long-term health problems.
If you have existing health conditions or a weakened immune system you are more at risk.
Conditions that increase your risk include:
- Diabetes
- Kidney disease
- Lung disease or cancer
- High alcohol intake
- Having had an organ transplant
- Taking medicines that weaken your immune system
What are the symptoms?
Loading…
Symptoms of melioidosis can begin to appear sudden or start slowly.
The first sign is usually pneumonia.
You can also experience breathing difficulties, a cough that brings up mucus and a fever.
Other symptoms can include headache, confusion, difficulty passing urine for men, joint pain or swelling and skin sores that don’t heal.
Symptoms can last for two or more months.
Some people get chronic melioidosis, this means symptoms can be long lasting.
If you have any of those symptoms or think you have been exposed to the bacteria it is important to go to a doctor as soon as possible.
How can you protect yourself from getting it?
To protect yourself from melioidosis you should:
- Wash all cuts, grazes and wounds with soap and water
- Keep cuts covered with clean dressings
- Wear waterproof shoes or boots in wet or muddy conditions
- Wear rubber gloves when handling soil
- Wear a mask when using high pressure hoses
If you have an existing health condition you can take extra caution by:
- Staying indoors during storms, periods of heavy wind or heavy rain
- Ensuring drinking and bathing water are free of contamination
- Disinfecting bore water, or use a combination of rain and bottled water for drinking and showering
- Boiling water if you are unsure
How is it treated?
Melioidosis is treated in hospital for two to four weeks.
Patients are given antibiotics through their veins.
