Could Flesh-Eating Bacteria Be Lurking in Seaside Australia?

[Astronuc]

NY Times - A Terrifying Disease Stalks Seaside Australia: Flesh-Eating Ulcers
https://news.yahoo.com/terrifying-disease-stalks-seaside-australia-120741684.html
What looked like a sunburn on the top of a man's foot turned out to be an infection of a species of flesh-eating bacteria! The species is Mycobacterium ulcerans.

According to WHO, "the mode of transmission is not known and there is no prevention for the disease." "The organism belongs to the family of bacteria that causes tuberculosis and leprosy, which provides an opportunity for collaboration with these disease programmes. However, M. ulcerans is an environmental bacterium and produces unique toxin – mycolactone."

https://www.cdc.gov/buruli-ulcer/index.html
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/buruli-ulcer-(mycobacterium-ulcerans-infection)

Buruli ulcer has been reported in 33 countries in Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Western Pacific. Most cases occur in tropical and subtropical regions except in Australia, China and Japan. Out of the 33 countries, 14 regularly report data to WHO.

The annual number of suspected Buruli ulcer cases reported globally was around 5000 cases up until 2010 when it started to decrease until 2016, reaching its minimum with 1961 cases reported. Since then, the number of cases has started to rise again every year, up to 2713 cases in 2018. The reasons for the decline and for the recent increase are not clear.

I thought it might be a case of warm (tropical) water. But apparently, there is a theory that it harbors in possums (in Victoria, Australia).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buruli_ulcer

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

This is terrifying! I have never heard of this disease before. It's worrying to think that it can be contracted even in subtropical and temperate regions. Does anyone know what the best way to protect oneself is? Is there a vaccine or something?