‘We haven’t seen anything like this’: Melioidosis deaths surge in wake of floods
GPs in north Queensland are being urged to consider the soil-borne disease in patients with fever or pneumonia symptoms.
Deaths from an unprecedented outbreak of melioidosis have climbed to 12 in recently flood-hit areas of north Queensland.
In the past week alone, 25 new cases of the disease have been reported, bringing the total to 94 since 1 January.
This is more than three times the number reported in the same period last year, according to Queensland Health.
“We haven’t seen anything like this, and the numbers are very alarming,” Tropical Public Health Services director Dr Jacqueline Murdoch told reporters this week.
