Flesh-eating bug cases soar amid warning about terrifying condition

Cases of a flesh-eating bug are on the rise, as experts are warning people to take extra protective measures to make sure they don't catch the cell-destroying disease

Cases of a flesh-eating bug are soaring as a stark warning has been given about the condition.

Known as Buruli ulcer, a flesh-eating bacteria is spreading rapidly through a suburb in Melbourne, Australia, prompting warnings from the chief health officer to take protective measures.

The bug has been known to occur in Australia since the 1940s, and now Victoria's chief health officer, Prof Ben Cowie, has warned the community about the risk of infection after a recent increase in cases linked to the Melbourne suburb of Ascot Vale, in Melbourne's north.

Prof Cowie stated that "cases remained high" across the state, according to The Guardian. “The disease is spreading geographically across Victoria and is no longer restricted to specific coastal locations,” he shared in a health advisory.

As of December 17, there have been 344 cases notified so far in 2024, compared with the same period in 2023 (362 cases).

The state's health department has said that those affected usually develop a painful lump or wound, which can initially be mistaken for an insect bite. Over time this then changes slowly into a destructive skin ulcer.

Prof Cowie shared that everyone is susceptible to infection, but Buruli ulcer notifications were highest in people aged over 60-years-old. “Prompt treatment can significantly reduce skin loss and tissue damage, and avoid the need for more intensive treatment,” he said.

“The incubation period varies from four weeks to nine months. The lesion of Buruli ulcer may occur anywhere on the body, but it is most common on exposed areas of the limbs.”

People should use insect repellents, cover up with light, loose, light-coloured clothing and avoid mosquito-prone areas or being outdoors during peak biting times, Prof Cowie also advised.

Analysis recently released shows that Buruli has also become endemic in the New South Wales town of Batemans Bay, about 110km south-east of Canberra. Researchers have studied the coastal town’s two only known cases, which were reported in 2021 and 2023, as well as picking apart 27 samples of possum poo.

Victoria’s department of health said that possums were known to develop ulcers caused by this infection and research has shown that mosquitoes play a role in transmitting the disease to humans.

A Buruli ulcer is often described as painless, but can destroy skin cells, small blood vessels and fat under the skin.

The progression of symptoms usually start with a spot that looks like an insect bite, which then grows bigger over days or weeks. The spot may also become crusty, or not heal. The scab then disintegrates into an ulcer, which then continues to enlarge.

Unlike other ulcers, Buruli ulcer are usually painless, and tend to not give individuals a fever or other signs of infection. It can sometimes occur with no ulceration but with localised pain, swelling and fever, raised lumps, or thickened or raised flat areas of skin.

Currently, Buruli ulcer has been reported in 33 countries around the world, including areas such as rural West Africa Central Africa, New Guinea, Latin America and tropical regions of Asia. In Australia, Buruli ulcer has been reported in several states, including Queensland, the Northern Territory and Victoria.

Recognising the bug early is important to prevent skin and tissue loss, and the average incubation period lasts between four and five months. Most Buruli ulcers require treatment with six to eight weeks of oral antibiotics.