Latest news with #Melioidosis
ABC News
25-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
Georgia Loney
The loss of a much-loved institution hits home in Townsville, amid a growing appreciation of — and nostalgia for — older-style Chinese restaurants. 1h ago 1 hours ago Sun 25 May 2025 at 12:17am Another person has died from a rare tropical disease in North Queensland, bringing the state's death toll to 31, but doctors say the number of cases is slowing as the weather dries up. Wed 14 May Wed 14 May Wed 14 May 2025 at 5:04am Queensland's police union says the state's policy is allowing car thieves to operate "almost without consequence" as frustration grows over crime. Sat 10 May Sat 10 May Sat 10 May 2025 at 2:57am Melioidosis claims another two lives in Queensland, bringing the state's death toll to 28 from more than 200 infections following record wet weather. Wed 30 Apr Wed 30 Apr Wed 30 Apr 2025 at 2:46am Police are working to identify remains found in a backpackers' hostel that burnt down in Bowen in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Wed 30 Apr Wed 30 Apr Wed 30 Apr 2025 at 11:12am A 15-year-old boy has appeared in court after a stolen car delayed Anzac Day commemorations in Townsville, Australia's largest garrison city. Mon 28 Apr Mon 28 Apr Mon 28 Apr 2025 at 6:49am A Queensland historian has researched the stories of Australia's military "rejects" and how they made vital contributions to World War I efforts. Thu 24 Apr Thu 24 Apr Thu 24 Apr 2025 at 3:13am Dustin's mum says he is "just a normal bush kid", but the 12-year-old has been unable to enrol in school due to his autism. Thu 17 Apr Thu 17 Apr Thu 17 Apr 2025 at 8:45pm An investigation into the sexual assault of a nurse at Townsville's public hospital found some clinical staff view unsafe patient behaviours as "just part of the job". Thu 10 Apr Thu 10 Apr Thu 10 Apr 2025 at 4:40am North Queensland towns sweating on benefits from a $13.9 billion transmission line say they need certainty in the face of major changes and delays. Tue 8 Apr Tue 8 Apr Tue 8 Apr 2025 at 9:16pm The Queensland government will seek private investment to deliver a power grid expansion in the state's north-west after another cost blowout. Tue 8 Apr Tue 8 Apr Tue 8 Apr 2025 at 5:48am Australia's largest northern city has recorded its wettest year on record, and heavy rain is forecast to continue today. Sat 5 Apr Sat 5 Apr Sat 5 Apr 2025 at 2:40am Raw sewage is running through properties in Australia's largest northern city as infrastructure buckles after months of record-breaking rain. Fri 28 Mar Fri 28 Mar Fri 28 Mar 2025 at 11:51pm Residents of a flooded outback town will be evacuated and flown to safety as outback floods continue in western and northern Queensland. The rain band is expected to head east in time for the weekend. Thu 27 Mar Thu 27 Mar Thu 27 Mar 2025 at 10:40pm The Bureau of Meteorology says people in Giru, south of Townsville, should expect the Haughton River to top its major flood level — again — and keep rising as slashing rain continues across Queensland. Wed 26 Mar Wed 26 Mar Wed 26 Mar 2025 at 9:26am The death toll from Queensland's unprecedented melioidosis outbreak continues to rise with another five fatalities reported in the state's north in the past week. Tue 25 Mar Tue 25 Mar Tue 25 Mar 2025 at 8:28am Inland parts of Queensland have recorded hundreds of millimetres of rain over the past few days, with the wet weather set to continue. The Bruce Highway is closed north of Ingham. Tue 25 Mar Tue 25 Mar Tue 25 Mar 2025 at 7:34am The weather bureau says heavy falls are still possible with storms forecast across the northern and western parts of the state. Thu 20 Mar Thu 20 Mar Thu 20 Mar 2025 at 11:31pm As north Queenslanders cope with the second flood in as many months, frustrations are growing over yet another closure of the Bruce Highway. Thu 20 Mar Thu 20 Mar Thu 20 Mar 2025 at 9:42am North Queenslanders have again been smashed by heavy rains with homes damaged and cars destroyed just weeks after the last floods. Wed 19 Mar Wed 19 Mar Wed 19 Mar 2025 at 8:47am Health authorities are on high alert after another melioidosis death in North Queensland amid fears the disease is occurring in places where it was previously all but unheard of. Tue 18 Mar Tue 18 Mar Tue 18 Mar 2025 at 6:40am Army veteran Mathew Whitbread, 49, was fit and healthy when he contracted melioidosis while mud crabbing in north Queensland. It nearly killed him. Thu 13 Mar Thu 13 Mar Thu 13 Mar 2025 at 6:50pm A Townsville man has been charged with assault after police say they had "no choice" but to shoot him during an incident two weeks ago. Wed 19 Feb Wed 19 Feb Wed 19 Feb 2025 at 1:23am A crucial part of the Bruce Highway has reopened, allowing more trucks to get through to flood-ravaged communities in North Queensland. Fri 14 Feb Fri 14 Feb Fri 14 Feb 2025 at 6:48am A series of thunderstorms battered the Gold Coast this morning, dumping 100mm of rain over the course of two hours. Thu 13 Feb Thu 13 Feb Thu 13 Feb 2025 at 12:08am
Metro
24-05-2025
- Metro
Kangaroo tries to 'drown a man in floodwater after throwing punches at him'
A kangaroo 'tried to drown' a man in floodwaters in a terrifying encounter that could only happen in Australia. Don James lived to tell the tale – and warn others – after getting into a full-blown fist fight with the marsupial on Friday morning. The incident happened in Port Macquarie, one of the cities which has been hit by record-breaking flood. At least seven deaths have been reported and more than 50,000 remain isolated. Don found himself fighting for his life after the animal started punching him on the side of a road. The man tried to defend himself, but the kangaroo floored him and then forced his head under floodwater. Don described the encounter as 'pretty traumatic', telling ABC Australia: 'I just remember being under water and kicking and screaming and carrying on.' He managed to flee as the kangaroo became spooked by an approaching car and ran away. Kristy Lees witness the whole incident unfold on the Shoreline Drive as she was driving past. She said: 'The kangaroo leapt at our car and then tried to come at the car. 'Then it saw Don about 30 metres away … and they got into an altercation. 'They started punching each other – the kangaroo started punching him.' Local wildlife rescue FAUNA's Kym Kilpatrick said when wild animals are distressed – which they would be during a flood event – and perceive a threat they can demonstrate unusual behaviours. More Trending She urged people to remain cautious in their approach and put their safety first. Kangaroos are known to sometimes try and drown their foes. It is a rare – but potentially fatal – defensive behaviour. When threatened, especially by dogs or other predators, kangaroos may retreat into water. If the pursuer follows, they may use their strong arms to hold the attacker underwater. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Flooding in Australia leaves four dead and entire towns underwater MORE: Missing British student Lewis Jack's body found on Australia's Gold Coast MORE: Map shows spread of tropical disease Melioidosis that has killed 31 people across Australia
Medscape
20-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Flooding Triggers Major Melioidosis Outbreak in Australia
Australia has recorded its highest number of cases of the tropical bacterial infection melioidosis, which is thought to have been triggered by major rainfall and flooding. The outbreak has placed pressure on already strained hospitals in the area. The northeastern state of Queensland has recorded an unprecedented 215 cases of melioidosis so far this year compared with 59 cases over a similar period in 2024 and 46 cases in 2023. The state also recorded 31 deaths. 'We've had about four times more [cases] in Cairns and the hinterland area compared to the year-to-date average, and about six times more here in Townsville than the year-to-date average,' Jeff Warner, PhD, a microbiologist at the Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine at James Cook University in Townsville, told Medscape Medical News. Both cities border the Great Barrier Reef. Townsville experienced massive floods in January and February caused by record-breaking rainfall, which is likely to have contributed to the surge in infections. Cairns has also experienced its wettest March on record. 'On top of what was already probably a spreader event back from Cyclone Jasper flooding, there's now been this additional significant weather event this year with a lot of water and a lot of flooding,' said Aileen Traves, MD, a general practitioner in Cairns. 'That obviously has made a huge difference to seeing the numbers really spike.' Aileen Traves, MD The increase in cases has put pressure on hospitals in the area, Traves told Medscape Medical News . 'There have been some additional pressures, like on intensive care here, because some of the people are so sick that they're actually ending up in the ICU.' 'Great Imitator' Melioidosis is caused by the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei , which is found in soil and water. The disease is endemic in tropical regions around the world, including northern Australia, and outbreaks are commonly tied to major rainfall events such as the monsoon. The infection can present as pneumonia, skin infections, or septicemia and has a mortality rate that ranges from around 10% in Australia to as high as 40% in Thailand. 'Clinically, it's one of the great imitators, along with tuberculosis and syphilis,' said Steven Donohue, MD, director of the Townsville Public Health Unit in Queensland. 'In other words, it can present in very different ways,' It can also remain latent or subclinical for a long period, potentially even decades. This feature led to its being labeled the 'Vietnamese time bomb' by US military personnel who were infected during their service in the Vietnam war. Steven Donohue, MD Those most vulnerable to severe infection tend to be older individuals with preexisting comorbidities, such as diabetes and kidney disease, and those with impaired immune systems. But one unusual feature of this latest outbreak is the number of younger, otherwise healthy individuals — particularly those working on building sites — presenting with the infection. 'They're often young, fit, and male, but they're working in conditions where they are being exposed potentially to the bacteria in their job,' Traves said. Potential Routes of Exposure How patients get exposed to and infected with B pseudomallei is still uncertain, Warner said. Bore water has been implicated as a source of infection through ingestion, as has subcutaneous inoculation via cuts or abrasions. Another possible source is inhalation. 'It's almost certainly true that it is aerosolized during the extreme weather.' Given that the organism usually resides in the soil, soil disturbance from development may be contributing to some of the clusters. 'The hypothesis up in Cairns is that the Bruce Highway extension being pushed through just south of Cairns has disrupted the environment to such an extent as to release B pseudomallei from layers of soil that weren't [normally exposed] to people,' he said. Another theory is that the cleanup from flooding in Townsville has exposed more people to the bacterium than usual. 'People are often having to clean up after floods or heavy rain in the wet, and often people are doing this with bare feet,' Donohue said. That cleanup process also sometimes includes the use of pressure hoses, which can aerosolize the water and soil and increase the likelihood of inhalation by people who are 'not necessarily wearing a mask or boots or gloves or all of the stuff they should,' he noted. Another factor could be the demographics of Australians in the area, Donohue said. 'We've got an aging population with a high rate of chronic diseases and also human movement into new suburbs and new settlements, so a lot of changes in behavior, a lot of changes in the environment.' Australia has experienced numerous extreme flooding events in recent years, particularly along the eastern coast, that have been attributed to climate change. This latest outbreak highlights the human health risks for climate change, Traves said. 'People don't always think about the associations with human health and planetary health, but I think this is a classic example.'
