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Flesh-eating ulcer spreading in Australia, and reasons remain a mystery
CNN ^ | 4/16/18 | Euan McKirdy

Posted on 04/16/2018 3:46:26 PM PDT by LibWhacker

(CNN)Scientists in Australia have voiced concern about an apparent outbreak of Buruli ulcer, a flesh-eating disease that usually occurs in West and central Africa.

The infectious disease has seen a spike in cases in recent years in several parts of Australia but particularly in the state of Victoria.

In a study published Monday in the Medical Journal of Australia, the authors caution that the outbreak of the ulcers, described as an "epidemic" in the study, requires an "urgent scientific response." They report that Victoria is facing a worsening epidemic "defined by cases rapidly increasing in number, becoming more severe in nature, and occurring in new geographic areas."

In 2016, there were 182 new cases reported, a spike of 72%. But even this number was dwarfed by a further increase of 51% from November 2016 to the same month a year later. In November 2016, there were 156, which rose to 236 cases.

The environmental reservoir of the disease and how it spreads between humans are unknown. Most cases in Africa are associated with living near marshes and other aquatic environments. But in Australia cases, are often linked to specific modes of transmission such as mosquitoes and possums, according to Andres Garchitorena, researcher at the Institute of Research and Development in France and an expert on Buruli ulcers, who was not involved in the most recent report.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Australia/New Zealand; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: buruli; eating; flesh; spreading; ulcer
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1 posted on 04/16/2018 3:46:26 PM PDT by LibWhacker
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To: LibWhacker

Only one?


2 posted on 04/16/2018 3:48:08 PM PDT by tinyowl (A is A)
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To: LibWhacker

Could it be........migration?


3 posted on 04/16/2018 3:48:30 PM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
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To: LibWhacker

At least the flesh eating bacteria aren’t venereally transmitted, yet.


4 posted on 04/16/2018 3:49:08 PM PDT by Pearls Before Swine ("Married with children.")
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To: LibWhacker

Bad Vegemite. Fair Dinkum


5 posted on 04/16/2018 3:50:39 PM PDT by Vaquero (Don't pick a fight with an old guy. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you)
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To: LibWhacker

I remember watching a documentary about an ulcer disease endemic to Africa (may have been anthrax) as the ulcers usually formed on the limbs and the pathogen died at a relatively low temp, they wrapped the limb in a hot bandage for a couple hours a day.


6 posted on 04/16/2018 3:52:03 PM PDT by LukeL
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To: LibWhacker

As if there are not enough things in Australia that will kill you.


7 posted on 04/16/2018 3:56:32 PM PDT by BBell (calm down and eat your sandwiches)
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To: LibWhacker

Who’d a thunk it that inviting migrants from places with feces piled high in the streets would give you insane diseases?


8 posted on 04/16/2018 3:58:35 PM PDT by varyouga
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To: LibWhacker


9 posted on 04/16/2018 3:59:37 PM PDT by DoodleBob
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To: LibWhacker

According to Wiki:

“Bacteria from the same genus also cause tuberculosis and leprosy (M. tuberculosis and M. leprae, respectively)”


10 posted on 04/16/2018 4:04:08 PM PDT by VanShuyten ("...that all the donkeys were dead. I know nothing as to the fate of the less valuable animals.")
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To: LibWhacker

“(CNN)Scientists in Australia have voiced concern about an apparent outbreak of Buruli ulcer, a flesh-eating disease that usually occurs in West and central Africa.”

Coming to a neighborhood near you Europe and ,America. Courtesy of your governments.


11 posted on 04/16/2018 4:21:52 PM PDT by Bonemaker (invictus maneoCalifornia dreamin' (California dreamin') On such a winter's day)
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To: DoodleBob

Everything in Aus. can and will kill you.


12 posted on 04/16/2018 4:23:45 PM PDT by VTenigma (The Democrat party is the party of the mathematically challenged)
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To: varyouga

You mean like San Francisco?


13 posted on 04/16/2018 4:40:47 PM PDT by HighSierra5
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To: BenLurkin

“reasons remain a mystery”

I laughed when I read that. I would say that these people are stupid, but I know that they know exactly what is going on.


14 posted on 04/16/2018 4:51:23 PM PDT by Revel
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To: LibWhacker

“usually occurs in West and central Africa”

Does this mean someone went down on a rhesus monkey?


15 posted on 04/16/2018 5:45:49 PM PDT by fruser1
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To: fruser1

Thank one-worldism and multiculturalism for this. Isn’t it adding a certain excitement to your life?


16 posted on 04/16/2018 6:32:29 PM PDT by hal ogen (First Amendment or Reeducation Camp?)
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To: fruser1
"“usually occurs in West and central Africa”

God had a couple of prototypes for the Garden of Eden before finalizing the desgin.

All the critters and pathogens unfit for Eden, ended up in Africa.
 

17 posted on 04/16/2018 6:53:56 PM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie (MAGA in the mornin', MAGA in the evenin', MAGA at suppertime . . .)
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To: LibWhacker

Melbourne is ground zero for the multiculturalist immigrationist agenda in Australia. Gangs of grateful African refugees rob and assault the (disarmed) public with impunity, while the left cries about Australia forcing them into lives of crime.


18 posted on 04/16/2018 8:08:40 PM PDT by fluorescence
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To: DoodleBob

OMG! A Death Adder!!!

Oh! Whew! It’s just a common one. No big whoop.


19 posted on 04/16/2018 8:18:30 PM PDT by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
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To: BradyLS; VTenigma; SkyDancer
Australia is a hellscape which shouldn't have people on it.

I copied our resident flight instructor who worked in Mother Nature's Killing Field for a while for a sanity check.

I'm sure it's lovely, and I've met many people from Australia who loved it there. Maybe I'm over-reacting. For the record though, from this website:

If you plan to walk or swim in the land Down Under, here is a list of the 10 most dangerous animals you should be worried about. Keep it handy.

1. Box jellyfish

jellyfish

A box jellyfish.

Image: Melanie Stetson Freeman

Highly dangerous, the box jellyfish is usually found in northern Australia during the warmer months — exactly when you want to swim.

They're called box jellyfish because their bell — the top of the jellyfish — has four corners, as well as clusters of trailing, stinging tentacles that can stretch more than two metres (6.4 feet), Robinson said.

Human encounters occur most often when the box jellyfish comes close to shore to breed in estuaries. "That type of water is muddy, so you can't always see them and they can't see you," he added. If you're in the murky water and brush against one, you can easily be stung.

Danger rating: 10/10

Scientific name: Chironex fleckeri

How to know if it's got you: A box jellyfish sting can be unbelievably painful, Robinson said. The venom is designed to paralyse fish, so it immobilises your nerves and affects breathing and movement. A large dose can cause cardiac arrest and death within minutes.

2. Honey bee

honey bee

The European honey bee.

Image: Patrick Pleul/Associated Press

The humble honey bee, which is not native to Australia, comes second on the list because it's both common and deadly to small subset of people. Being stung by 100 or so honey bees could put anyone at risk of a fatality, but for those who are highly-allergic, even a single sting can be a life threatening situation.

"The honey bee has barbed stings, so it can only sting once," Robinson. "The purpose of the sting is to make you never want to bother a bee ever again."

Danger rating: 9/10

Scientific name: Apis mellifera

How to know if it's got you: You'll suffer a sharp, burning pain and minor swelling, unless you're allergic, in which case a sting could cause swelling and severe breathing difficulties, among other symptoms.

3. Irukandji jellyfish

jellyfish

A fully grown Irukandji jellyfish.

A type of small box jellyfish, the Irukandji jellyfish can be the size of a finger nail in the bell, and its tentacles can be up to one metre (3.2 feet) in length.

Scientists are not certain of the full range of locations where they occur, Robinson said, but there have been remarkably similar stings along the Australian coastline. While the box jellyfish is usually found in shallow water, the Irukandji jellyfish is most often in deep water.

Danger rating: 9/10

Scientific name: Carukia barnesi

How to know if it's got you: Getting stung by these little buggers can bring on Irukandji syndrome. Taking about 30 minutes to set in, the syndrome can be marked by severe lower back pain, cramps, sweating, anxiety, nausea and other, more fatal, symptoms.

4. Bull shark

bull shark

A bull shark.

Image: Corbis Images

Found worldwide in coastal waters, you're most likely to come across the bull shark in estuaries, harbours and rivers.

It's a very good scavenger, as well as a predator, Robinson said, so you certainly don't want to be swimming near any dead whale carcasses. It's probably responsible for most of the dogs that go missing from the water, he added.

Danger rating: 8/10

Scientific name: Carcharhinus leucas

How to know if it's got you: Oh, you'll know.

5. Eastern brown snake

brown snake

Image: William West

The brown snake group is likely responsible for the most snake bite fatalities of any Australian snake genus, Robinson said, probably because the species is found all over Australia.

Usually more than one metre (3.2 feet) in length, it's a very nervy snake, he added, so if you come close they can strike out and bite you quickly.

Danger rating: 8/10

Scientific name: Pseudonaja textilis

How to know if it's got you: According to the Australian Museum, the eastern brown snake's bite can initially be painless and difficult to detect. That's a problem, because if bitten, you'll need medical attention straight away. Its venom can result in eventual paralysis and uncontrollable bleeding.

6. Saltwater or estuarine crocodile

crocodile

A 4.5 meter (13.5 foot) saltwater crocodile.

Image: Rob Griffith/Associated Press

Living in northern Australia, saltwater crocodiles can be found in the ocean, but they are more likely to be in estuaries, and occasionally, freshwater.

Take notice of what the locals tell you and take any cautionary signs seriously, Robinson advised, because the saltwater crocodile is very good at ambushing prey. And word to the wise, don't leave your dog chained up outside the tent.

Danger rating: 8/10

Scientific name: Crocodylus porosus

How to know if it's got you: The sharp teeth clamped around your leg is a definite clue.

7. Sydney funnel web spider

Funnel Web

A Funnel Web spider.

Image: Ian Waldie

Most of Sydney's north shore suburbs are built on the main population area of the Sydney funnel web, according to Robinson. Since 1927, 14 deaths from the spider have been recorded. It's only the male bite that has proved fatal, however.

Direct UV light will kill a funnel web, so the spiders need somewhere to hide during the day and have been known to consider a shoe a perfectly adequate location. More commonly, the spiders builds burrows under something like a pile of bricks or a log.

Danger rating: 8/10

Scientific name: Atrax robustus

How to know if it's got you: The venom of a Sydney funnel web can cause death, as it contains a neurotoxin component that affects the nervous system. The bite is very painful, and symptoms include sweating, tingling and muscle spasms.

8. Blue-ringed octopus

Octopus

A swimming blue-ringed octopus.

Image: Corbis Images

There are about four species of blue-ringed octopus around the Australian coast. They are normally brown and innocuous looking, but when disturbed, iridescent blue lines and rings appear.

Almost all bites have occurred when the octopus was picked up and taken out of the water, Robinson said. The simple message is: don't touch them and you'll be fine.

Danger rating: 7/10

Scientific name: Genus Hapalochlaena

How to know if it's got you: Once bitten by this octopus, symptoms can appear within minutes, depending on where you've been bitten. Because it contains neurotoxins, the body starts to shut down and becomes increasingly paralysed. Usually victims die because they stop breathing, Robinson added.

9. Coastal taipan

taipan

A coastal taipan.

Image: Corbis Images

Around two metres (6.4 feet) on average, the coastal taipan is not an aggressive snake, but it's very able to defend itself with a fast and accurate strike. The inland taipan beats the coastal taipan for the severity of its venom, Robinson said, but people rarely encounter it and there have been no known deaths.

Danger rating: 7/10

Scientific name: Oxyuranus scutellatus

How to know if it's got you: The coastal taipan's venom is designed to work on mammals such as rats and works very quickly. The venom attacks the nervous system and blood. If bitten, you might start to bleed internally, as well as suffer headaches, nausea and vomiting.

10. Common death adder

adder

A common death adder hides in leaf litter and uses its tail as a lure for unsuspecting prey.

Image: Auscape

Quite widespread in Sydney bushland, the reason this snake is at number 10 is that it relies on camouflage rather than evasion to protect itself, according to Robinson. While other snakes will slink off when faced with a threat, the death adder freezes, he said, so it's easy to get bitten if you're walking through a bushy area and step on one. Its fangs are long and can penetrate quite deeply.

Danger rating: 7/10

Scientific name: Acanthopis antarticus

How to know if it's got you: The common death adder's venom causes loss of motor and sensory function — you go numb and your respiration starts to slow, and eventually, paralysis and even death can occur.

20 posted on 04/16/2018 9:29:00 PM PDT by DoodleBob
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