Victim lost leg in ulcer horror
Teen in custody over property charges
A MAN contracted such a severe infection of a flesh-eating bug while living in the Far North, he needed to have his leg amputated.
Doctors have detailed the extraordinary case in the latest edition of the Medical Journal of Australia, as the bacterial disease Buruli ulcer – also known as Daintree ulcer – is on the rise in regional Victoria.
There were 182 new cases of the disease in the state in 2016, 275 in 2017, and 30 so far this year.
Experts have called for urgent government funding so they can figure out how to contain the disease, which also affects residents in the Mossman-Daintree region.
The bacteria’s exact mode of transmission to humans has largely remained a mystery.
Doctors said that in July 2012, a 68-year-old man went to his GP in Brisbane with a swollen and painful right ankle.
They said other than having a nodule caused by the bacterium mycobacterium ulcerans cut out of his left forearm, the man was otherwise well.
The initial infection was likely contracted while the man had been living in FNQ between February 2010 and November 2011.
Five months later, however, the patient developed skin ulceration at the biopsy site, and required bone and skin grafts.
“Despite prolonged antibiotic therapy and normalisation of inflammatory markets by March 2013, the patient experienced persistent pain, and X-rays showed failure of the bone graft to incorporate into the talus (ankle joint),” the doctors wrote.
“After extensive multidisciplinary discussions involving the patient, a below-knee amputation was performed in June 2013.”
The doctors said that three weeks after the patient’s leg was amputated, he developed another nodule over his left elbow.
The nodule was cut out, and there was no further trace of the disease.
“The patient has adapted well to his prosthesis, regained full mobility and is pain-free four years after his amputation,” the doctors said.
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A 15-YEAR-OLD Edmonton girl is facing a string of wilful damage offences allegedly committed across Cairns this month.
Police will allege that damage was done to a car window at Westcourt on April 2, as well as a window at a Cairns City commercial premises the following day.
Investigations also took place into a number of graffiti incidents along Brown St and Scott St at Westcourt and Bungalow, as well as damage and stealing incidents at a Westcourt shopping centre.
Cairns Property Crime Squad officers visited a Bungalow address just after noon on Monday and the girl was taken into custody.
She was charged with nine counts of wilful damage by graffiti, three counts of wilful damage and one count each of wilful damage by fire and stealing.
The charges relate to offences allegedly committed between April 2-15.