Sydney, Dec 21 || Health authorities in Australia's second-most populous state have issued a warning over the spread of a flesh-eating ulcer.
The Department of Health in Victoria on Friday said that cases of Buruli ulcer are spreading across the state, including in inner Melbourne, news agency reported.
Buruli ulcer is a bacterial infection that researchers believe is spread from possums to humans by mosquitoes. Cases initially present as a painless lump or wound that can slowly develop into a destructive ulcer.
If left untreated, the flesh-eating ulcer can lead to permanent disfigurement and long-term disability.
The Department of Health's warning said that the highest risk of infection occurs during warmer months but that it can take four to five months for an ulcer to develop.
As of December 17, there had been 344 confirmed Buruli ulcer infections in Victoria in 2024, the department said, compared to 362 at the same time in 2023, 338 in 2022, 286 in 2021 and 217 in 2020.