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Speaker 1: We know that there's been five cases of meliadosis detected

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Speaker 1: in the Northern Territory in the last week, with territorians

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Speaker 1: being told to be on alert for the potentially fatal disease.

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Speaker 1: Now joining me on the line to talk more about

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Speaker 1: this is nt Health Center for Disease Controlled Director doctor

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Speaker 1: Vicki Krass.

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Speaker 2: Good morning to you, Good morning.

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Speaker 1: Thanks so much for your time this morning. Vicki tell us,

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Speaker 1: obviously five cases in the last week, it does sound

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Speaker 1: like quite a lot in one week.

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Speaker 2: Well, actually I have to report that there are six cases.

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Speaker 2: So this is what happens when the rain start, and

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Speaker 2: we do know that we have started into the month soon,

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Speaker 2: and so there have been six cases in the past week,

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Speaker 2: and that brings up the total stilts to below the

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Speaker 2: usual for this time of year twenty nine cases. But

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Speaker 2: people will maybe realize we didn't have much train in

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Speaker 2: January and our usual months for rain or January February

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Speaker 2: for some of the highest rainfalls. So but now the

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Speaker 2: rain has started and certainly we want to make sure

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Speaker 2: that you know, residents and visitors to the top end

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Speaker 2: are well aware of meloosis and the precautions to take.

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Speaker 1: So ki in terms of the seeks throughout the wag

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Speaker 1: So that number going up slightly, going up by one

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Speaker 1: extra case. How have that like, how is it been contracted?

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Speaker 2: Well, again, we live in an environment that has the

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Speaker 2: bacteria that causes melodosis in the soil and so we

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Speaker 2: really can't get away with it. We have to from it.

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Speaker 2: We have to learn how to live with it and

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Speaker 2: protect ourselves. This bacteria lives in the soil all across

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Speaker 2: the top end and it comes to the surface after

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Speaker 2: drenching rains, so that's when we have it's most concentrated

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Speaker 2: on the soil surface and the water surface, and so

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Speaker 2: it is the wet season that is a time period

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Speaker 2: when we have the opportunity to come in contact with

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Speaker 2: the bacteria. So that's that's basically it. The reds have

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Speaker 2: started and also have our cases and this is seen

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Speaker 2: you know, on a yearly basis, and we're hearing about

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Speaker 2: it in far North Queensland and can where they've had

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Speaker 2: an extraordinary number of cases, the most ever they've had

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Speaker 2: like four times for normal number and that.

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Speaker 1: Is from all that Ryan that that they've seen obviously.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, no, that's right, Yeah.

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Speaker 1: Doctor Krastello's what do people need to do to make

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Speaker 1: sure that they do protect themselves against meliadiosis.

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Speaker 2: Well, again, the main way that the bacteria gains entrance

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Speaker 2: into the body is through cuts and swords, so keeping

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Speaker 2: your skin healthy and without cuts is really important. So

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Speaker 2: to do that, you need to protect your feet male

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Speaker 2: in your hands, so that if you are out side

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Speaker 2: and outside gardening or working, your feet need to be

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Speaker 2: protected with waterproof footwear or at least shoes so that

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Speaker 2: you first of all protect your skin and also give

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Speaker 2: you some distance from the mud and surface water. And

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Speaker 2: the same with your hands that if you're outside working

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Speaker 2: in the garden or with your at your workplace, you

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Speaker 2: do need to protect your hands and be wearing wearing gloves.

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Speaker 2: Other things are we see a cordation with high pressure hosing,

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Speaker 2: and so while we're talking about keeping your skin intact,

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Speaker 2: another way that you can acquire the bacteria is with

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Speaker 2: it being aerosolized on windy and stormy days and so

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Speaker 2: or any other situations such as high pressure hosing which

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Speaker 2: would aerosolize the bacteria. So if you are high pressure hosing,

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Speaker 2: we recommend that you wear a face mask that will

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Speaker 2: cover your your nose and mouth for that protection. We

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Speaker 2: also recommend that people don't go out very windy and

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Speaker 2: stormy time periods in the top end because this is

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Speaker 2: a time when the bacteria can be aerosolides. And we

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Speaker 2: also know that there are specific groups that are more

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Speaker 2: at risk of acquiring the bacteria, and one that none

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Speaker 2: of us can escape is aging, so the aging population

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Speaker 2: are more at risk. People we usually say over sixty

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Speaker 2: five are in a higher risk bracket for meleodosis, but

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Speaker 2: other people who have chronic conditions such as diabetes and

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Speaker 2: lung disease, heart disease, liver disease, lung disease are at risk.

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Speaker 2: And people who are on immunous oppressive drugs that might

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Speaker 2: be for cancer or for other diseases are at risk,

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Speaker 2: as are people who overuse alcohol or binge drink as well.

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Speaker 2: So the the advice there is to know that you're

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Speaker 2: in the risk group, take even extra precautions and with

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Speaker 2: the alcohol to you know, go on the alcohol thry

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Speaker 2: at this time or especially if you're also in risk group.

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Speaker 1: Can yeah good advice. So Vicky, if you do suspect

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Speaker 1: that you've contracted million doses, is it best just to

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Speaker 1: go to your GP to front up to the hospital.

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Speaker 1: What's the best tag to take?

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Speaker 2: Well again. The most common presentation of this is usually

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Speaker 2: a pneumonia like presentation, so cough, fever and shortness of breath,

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Speaker 2: but it can actually just be like an unexplained fever,

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Speaker 2: or you get headaches and confusion. It can lead to sepsis.

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Speaker 2: You can have abscesses forming in various parts of your body,

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Speaker 2: for instance with men that it tends to collect in

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Speaker 2: the prostate and so they have a difficulty passing water.

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Speaker 2: Joints can swell up, you know, So there are all

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Speaker 2: of these symptoms can be are forewarning and so at

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Speaker 2: least talking to your GP and if feelings you know,

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Speaker 2: severely unwell, I'm going into the.

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Speaker 1: ED Well doctor Vicki krass I always appreciate your time.

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Speaker 1: Thank you very much for making us aware of the

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Speaker 1: current situation, and no doubt we'll talk to you again

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Speaker 1: very soon. All. Thank you, thanks so much,