Mud disease deaths highest on record
Queensland Health Warning
Warnings remain for Douglas Shire residents to take caution and avoid contact with mud following significant local flooding events this week as Queensland's unprecedented melioidosis outbreak claimed another life, to take the death toll to 20.
An elderly man died in the Townsville health district on the weekend, the eighth death in that area since the start of the wet season on November 1.
Further north, 11 deaths have been recorded in the Cairns health district this year and one person died in Mackay in February.
Queensland Health confirmed 125 cases of the bacterial infection had been reported in the state this year following record rainfall.
The majority of cases have been in the Cairns and Townsville areas, but there also have been infections in the Mackay, Torres Strait and Cape, Wide Bay and central Queensland health districts.
It is the most serious outbreak seen by infectious diseases physician and University of Queensland professor Paul Griffin.
Dr Griffen said the number of deaths and the number of cases are higher than would be expected.
“Certainly higher than we've seen in terms of the records that we have," he said.
"This is a very significant event and that should certainly make people pay attention so we can certainly reduce how many more cases and unfortunately deaths that we do see."
The bacterial disease can enter the body when a cut comes into contact with contaminated water, or when muddy droplets are inhaled, which can cause pneumonia.
People most at risk are the elderly, those with chronic health conditions like diabetes, and heavy alcohol users.
The Townsville Hospital and Health Service is continuing to remind people of the seriousness of melioidosis and to cover up any cuts or grazes, wear gloves, shoes and protective clothing when coming into contact with soil or floodwater, and you should wear a mask if you're pressure hosing mud to avoid inhaling germs in droplets.
Symptoms of melioidosis include fever, cough, muscle pain and headaches.
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