That's surprising: apparently, at least one type of flesh eating ulcer caught from some weird ground bacteria are actually more common in Victoria than tropical North Queensland:
But doctors are concerned because, in the past two years, three cases of
the usually geographically confined disease have emerged in the
Atherton Tablelands, south of its usual catchment area in far-north
Queensland. While the disease is much rarer in Queensland than Victoria,
with an average of two cases per year, there are occasional spikes,
such as in 2011 when 60 cases were recorded. Victoria saw a record 340
cases of the disease in 2018 and is approaching a similar number for
2019. Internationally renowned Buruli ulcer expert Prof Paul Johnson
said that despite the comparatively low number of Queensland cases, the
movement of the disease outside of its normal range was a concern.
And the possible bacteria spreading culprit in Victoria:
Johnson believes it is most likely the bacteria that causes the ulcer,
Mycobacterium ulcerans, is being spread in Victoria by mosquitoes and
possums. In Victoria, 40% of cases are found in visitors to the
Mornington and Bellarine peninsulas. The incubation period is about five
months, so people often visit the beachside areas in the summer months
but only present with the disease in the colder months after returning
to their home areas, where doctors may not be familiar with the disease
and therefore may not immediately diagnose it.
So you in that State, you get the tropical sounding disease but without the benefit of warm weather. Huh.
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