A flesh-eating bacteria epidemic has worsened, and experts fear there could be up to 400 infections by January. The record number of 277 cases of Buruli ulcer recorded last year in the Mornington Peninsula, south of Melbourne, has already been surpassed in 2018, with 49 new cases diagnosed in the past four weeks alone. Meanwhile in Queensland, a separate outbreak has seen five cases reported near Cairns, and mosquitoes found carrying the bacteria. In extreme cases, Buruli ulcer can cause permanent disfigurement. EPIDEMIC OF THE FLESH-EATING BURULI ULCER: WHAT WE KNOW WHAT IS A BURULI ULCER?

Source: Daily Mail October 20, 2018 02:51 UTC