A new case of flesh-eating bacteria has alarmed residents of Australia, after the disease has been identified in a patient.
Residents in Queensland, Australia have been warned to avoid venturing into the rainforest – or even their gardens – without taking precautions against Daintree Ulcer.
The Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service have confirmed one resident in the Daintree area of Queenland has become infected with the flesh-eating disease, reports the Courier Mail.
The bacterial infection can leave people with severe tissue damage and permanently disfigured if not treated appropriately. Treatment sees medical professionals surgically remove the infected area and prescribe a course of antibiotics.
Vascular surgeon Dr Christina Steffen told Courier Mail:
If people are in the garden or out in the bush, they should be wearing insect repellent and avoiding being bitten by things.
Especially in the garden, they should wear protective clothing as much as they can, and also probably wash their skin after they finish.
There are usually one or two cases of Daintree Ulcer annually in North Queensland, but there was a major outbreak in 2011 which saw at least 65 people infected with the destructive bacteria.
The exact cause of Daintree Ulcer is not known but scientists believe the disease is transferred to humans via mosquito bites.
It will likely now infest your very worst nightmares too.
A former emo kid who talks too much about 8Chan meme culture, the Kardashian Klan, and how her smartphone is probably killing her. Francesca is a Cardiff University Journalism Masters grad who has done words for BBC, ELLE, The Debrief, DAZED, an art magazine you’ve never heard of and a feminist zine which never went to print.