NT Health confirms three people have contracted melioidosis in Darwin

Three Darwin residents contracted the disease melioidosis already this Wet season. Find out how you can protect yourself.

Three people in Darwin have contracted melioidosis this Wet season so far.

Multiple Darwin residents have already contracted melioidosis this wet season, prompting NT Health to urge locals and visitors to be on high alert for the disease.

On Thursday morning, NT Health confirmed three cases of melioidosis have been detected since October 1 this year.

In recent years, there has been a rise in the number of melioidosis cases reported in the NT.

Last Wet season, five people died from melioidosis in the Territory between October 1, 2023 and September 30, 2024.

In the 2022-23 reporting period, six deaths were reported.

The risk of contracting melioidosis is heightened following heavy downpour.

Centre for Disease Control director Dr Vicki Krause said locals - particularly newcomers - needed to know how the disease can be contracted.

“This infection does take its toll, and we need to know about it, and know what we can do to try and prevent the disease,” she said.

“And should the disease present itself, people need to know they should seek medical attention early.”

Buried deep in the soil, melioidosis bacteria is brought to the surface following heavy rain at the start of the Wet season.

The bacteria commonly enters the body through cuts and sores, and can also be inhaled through dust and droplets.

Dr Krause says . Picture: Che Chorley

Dr Krause said people with certain conditions were particularly vulnerable.

“People that are immunosuppressed are more at risk of acquiring this disease,” she said.

“At the top of the list are people with diabetes, people who overuse alcohol, people with chronic conditions like lung, liver or renal disease, and people who are on medications that decrease their immune system.”

In January, NT WorkSafe issued a warning to workers after a Darwin landscaping employee was reported to have been diagnosed with melioidosis.

Fever, coughing and shortness of breath are some of the symptoms associated with the infection.

It can also cause non-healing skin abscesses or ulcers.

Left untreated, melioidosis can lead to severe pneumonia and blood poisoning, with about 10 per cent of infections in the NT leading to death.

Territorians are encouraged to take safety measures in an attempt to avoid the disease.

NT Health has listed a number of precautions that Territorians can take to avoid the bacteria that cause the disease, including:

– Wear covered waterproof footwear when outdoors

– Wear gloves while working in the garden or a soil-based environment

– Wash then cover sores and abrasions with waterproof dressings

– Wear a face mask while using high pressure hoses around soil and paths

– Stay indoors during heavy wind and rain

– Seek medical attention early

Anyone concerned about having melioidosis symptoms should visit their local GP, clinic or hospital.