Doctors call for urgent research as flesh-eating Buruli ulcer spreads in Australia

https://www.yahoo.com/news/doctors-call-urgent-research-flesh-112343670.html

Australia is facing a “rapidly worsening epidemic” of gruesome flesh-eating ulcers that have baffled experts and prompted calls for urgent medical research to uncover the cause.

Scientists said the Buruli ulcer, a bacterial infection which is most commonly seen in tropical parts of Africa, is being reported in increasing numbers in “temperate” rural areas in the state of Victoria.

The number of annual cases has increased more than 400 per cent, with a record 182 cases reported in 216 and 236 in the first 11 months of 2017.

“The community is facing a worsening epidemic, defined by cases rapidly increasing in number, becoming more severe in nature, and occurring in new geographic areas,” said an article on the outbreak in the Medical Journal of Australia.

The infection typically starts as a sore on the arm or leg that fails to heal and slowly enlarges, causing severe lesions of the skin and potentially requiring amputations. Sufferers often initially dismiss the initial symptoms as an insect bite.

I won't post the pictures, they are horrifying and you should click on them, but be forewarned.