Wicked car portraying The Beatles and their song All You Need Is Love , the lyrics declaring love is in the air , was spotted recently on Magnetic Island after the downpour which caused flooding and a massive outbreak of mould . There was so much mould that a special tanker filled with 22,000 litres of free anti mould fluid , below, was sent to the island . The stated content of the tanker could be incorrect due to wax and mould in ears.
This blog was informed that after the Townsville flooding disaster two or more tanker loads of the mould killer a day were dispensed in the city . Large amounts of white vinegar were also used in the clean up .
Of concern is the outbreak of the potentially deadly melioidosis , at least one case on Magnetic Island , reported in this blog. Mainland media reported 13 cases , some in intensive care , one death . Then the subject seemed to fall off the radar .
The infection is caused by a bacteria which lives in the soil which can be brought to the surface by rain , entering the body through muddy water , cuts and grazes . It can also be inhaled or caught due to drinking groundwater.
A Darwin follower of this blog , agronomist Robert Wesley-Smith , knew a man who in 2018 was "saved by the skin of his teeth " from melioidosis in Darwin . The man said he would have died for certain if he had gone for medical treatment in his hometown down south , where they knew nothing about the disease. Just treating a symptom , not aware that it was melioidosis , with ordinary antibiotics was dangerous .
Wesley-Smith had been so concerned about the man's statement that he contacted the ABC and spread the word about melioidosis and its treatment .
The recent heavy rains in North Queensland , he said , would be a classic situation for the bacteria to rise up and spread in muddy water . The infection caused a range of symptoms such as coughing and difficulty in breathing , fever or sporadic fever , confusion , headache , weight loss .
Other information he supplied included the fact that in 2012 there were 50 cases in the Northern Territory leading to three deaths . Preventative measures include wearing waterproof boots when walking in mud or puddles, gloves when handling muddy items ; if you have a weakened immune system , avoid going outdoors during heavy rain .
Some years ago, this writer visited a bedridden friend suffering from cancer in a Darwin retirement village during which time a gardener went about cutting lawns and using a noisy leaf blower . Days later, my friend was found to be suffering from melioidosis , the finger of suspicion was pointed at the leafblower .While not proven , the possibility that leaf blowers can spread the disease is a matter which needs attention
In Townsville and on Magnetic Island leaf blowers have been and are still being widely used in the massive clean up . A leaf blower was seen being used by a young girl to disperse soil and sand deposited near the front of a popular tourist attraction , not far from a bus stop . If leaf blowers can spread melioidosis , then the users of such devices should surely themselves be advised to wear protective face masks. It is a subject which requires a prompt investigation by health authorities .
