$1.5m to beat fearsome bug

MORE than $1 million will be spent on tackling a mysterious flesh-eating bug and reducing its spread in Australia.

The Federal Government yesterday announced it is investing $1.5 million into researching the Buruli ulcer, an infectious disease which can have devastating impacts on sufferers, including long-term disability and deformity.

The disease has been found to occur in Far North Queensland and parts of coastal Victoria, as the number of Victorians contracting the disease soars.

Authorities say 182 new cases were discovered in 2016, 275 in 2017 and 30 so far in 2018.