How public health unit will operate going forward

The region’s public health boss has detailed how you can avoid a debilitating flesh-eating ulcer after cases surged in our region in recent months.

Professor Eugene Athan

There has been a large increase in cases of flesh-eating ulcers in the Geelong region, with health officials turning their focus to the mosquitoes suspected of carrying the infection.

Recent flooding is likely to see a surge in the insects, which are also linked to the spread of a number of other conditions.

Barwon South West public health unit director Eugene Athan warned instances of Buruli ulcer had climbed in recent months.

“We’re certainly on the alert for that,” he said.

Buruli ulcer. Picture: Mark Wilson

He urged people with lesions to see their GP so they could get tested and begin treatment. He also said it was important to take preventive measures like covering up outdoors and cleaning scratches or wounds.

The condition, known as the Buruli or Bairnsdale ulcer and caused by mycobacterium ulcerans, can eat away skin and fat cells and cause gangrene and tissue loss.

Greater Geelong has recorded 36 cases of mycobacterium ulcerans so far this year, according to health department figures.

Over the same period in 2021 – which went on to be the municipality’s worst year on record with 37 cases – it had notched up 31.

Research is under way into transmission of the infection, but it is thought that mosquitoes could be involved.

The areas where mosquitoes and possums are most commonly carrying the bacteria are also where people are most frequently contracting the ulcer, research shows.

Heavy rainfall or floods can lead to ideal breeding conditions for mosquitoes, according to the state government’s Better Health Channel resource.

Prof Athan said the public health unit was working with the state government to support community responses to the flood emergency.

“We are in a place to support the other public health units across Victoria … for example, monitoring things like vector-borne diseases, so things like Japanese encephalitis, or Ross River virus, and making sure that people take anti-mosquito precautions,” he said.

Prof Athan urged the community to use mosquito repellent and avoid leaving water sitting around in the garden.

The Barwon South West public health unit, based in Geelong,was established in January last year.

Prof Athan said it had permanent staffing of about 80, but the unit had “probably in excess of 300” staff earlier in the pandemic.

Barwon Health's Eugene Athan. Picture: Supplied

The staff include infectious disease experts, epidemiologists and public health officers – formerly known as contact tracers.

“Following the most recent Omicron wave, we have seen a gradual reduction in cases throughout Australia, which is obviously wonderful news,” Prof Athan said.

“We are planning and getting prepared for the possibility of a summer surge of (Covid) cases.

“We’re increasingly supporting GPs to manage people with Covid.

“We’re providing both Covid support in not only … the Geelong region, but down to the whole of the Barwon South West, so as far as the South Australian border, and we’re now transitioning to a whole lot of new work in managing other notifiable important communicable diseases.”

The unit would focus on conditions including measles, viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted infections and chickenpox.

Prof Athan confirmed the Barwon South West region had recorded a small number of monkeypox cases, but those people had now recovered.

The response to the outbreak had included contact tracing and vaccination.

“We’re also building long-term programs to understand what the health needs of our whole region are, what’s called catchment planning, and working with partners to improve health promotion and health prevention,” Prof Athan said.

“So we’ll be tackling chronic diseases like obesity, alcohol and drug use, tobacco use.

“And we’re also trying to find ways to better promote healthy living, so making healthy choices around physical activity and improved diet.”

Originally published as How public health unit will operate going forward