Officials in Queensland, Australia’s flood-affected state, reported that a soil-dwelling bacteria had killed 14 people, as medical professionals looked into the source of the outbreak.
A rare antibiotic-resistant illness called melioidosis, which is brought on by bacteria in mud or soil, frequently appears in tropical regions following periods of intense rain or flooding.
Queensland’s Tropical Public Health Services director, Jacqueline Murdoch, stated that 2025 “absolutely is a record-breaking year,” even though cases had happened there in the past.
She said to national broadcaster ABC this week, “Certainly we haven’t seen anything like this.”
Queensland Health data indicates that since the year began, there have been 94 infections throughout the state.
The majority of patients catch the sickness by inhaling it, according to Murdoch, and infection only happens when the disease enters a person’s bloodstream or is inhaled.
“The climate has something to do with it,” she said as her team looked at the increase in cases.
Storms last month poured over 1.5 metres (59 inches) of rain on portions of Queensland in northeastern Australia, causing severe floods that engulfed homes, businesses, and roadways.
Given that the “organism is very aggressive and resistant to antibiotics,” melioidosis can kill up to 50% of people, according to John Bowman, a food scientist at the University of Tasmania. He said that those with weakened immune systems were particularly vulnerable to the disease.
Fever, breathing difficulties, coughing, and headaches are some of the symptoms.
