As Top Enders experience the first rains of the Wet Season the Department of Health is asking people to protect themselves from the potentially deadly soil-borne disease, melioidosis.

Dr Sarah McGuinness from the NT Centre for Disease Control warned that contact with mud, ground water and aerosolised soil during the Wet Season increased the chances of exposure to the bacteria which cause melioidosis.

“After heavy rains, melioidosis bacteria can be found in surface water and mud and may even become airborne,” Dr McGuiness said.

“The bacteria can enter the body via cuts and open wounds, and can also be inhaled into the lungs via dust or droplets.”

The time from infection to acute disease ranges from one to 21 days. Symptoms can vary greatly, but most commonly include fever, cough and breathing difficulties.

In some cases, features like weight loss, sores that won’t heal and difficulty passing urine (particularly in men) are also seen.  Melioidosis infection can lead to severe pneumonia and blood poisoning and can be fatal, even with best practice medical care. 

Those at highest risk of contracting melioidosis have specific risk factors which affect their immunity. Those most at risk are people:

• with diabetes
• who consume large amounts of alcohol, including those that binge drink
• with chronic lung disease, chronic kidney disease or cancer
• taking immunosuppressive medications (such as steroids).

While most people diagnosed with melioidosis have one or more risk factors, healthy people can become infected if they are working in mud, soil or pooled water without good hand and foot protection.

Top Enders are advised to take simple precautions to minimize the risk of contracting this disease. Melioidosis can be prevented by:

• wearing covered, waterproof shoes or boots when walking in wet or muddy areas
• wearing gloves when handling soil or mud-soaked items
• covering your mouth and nose when high pressure hoses around soil.

It is recommended that those most at risk stay indoors during heavy wind and rain.

The Department is working closely with GPs as a first point of call for melioidosis infection. Anyone concerned about melioidosis should contact their local GP or hospital.

There have been five cases of melioidosis this year. Three patients have required management in intensive care and one has died.

In the 26 years covered by the prospective Darwin melioidosis study, there have been 117 deaths recorded and 115 of these patients have had one or more identifiable risk factor (and the other two patients were elderly).  

A fact sheet with more information on melioidosis is available here.

Media Contact: Fred McCue 0401 119 792