Australia is on alert due to an outbreak of flesh-eating bacteria. There has been a significant increase in the number of infection cases recorded in the region lately. Symptoms appear as slowly growing painless lumps or sores and can initially be confused with an insect bite. Although everyone is in the risk group, the infection is more common in people over the age of 60.
The health warning noted that the disease had spread geographically and was no longer limited to certain coastal areas, and that 344 cases had been reported to health authorities as of December 17.
Possums are known to develop ulcers and mosquitoes play a role in transmitting the disease to humans.
