Be aware of melioidosis

There have been several cases of melioidosis reported in Far North Queensland over the past couple of months following very wet conditions.

Melioidosis lives in soil and is mainly found in more tropical areas but has caused illness in other regions this season. It can cause infection ranging from ulcers to pneumonia and sepsis. Read about Melioidosis and working safely.

People may be exposed to this disease through breaks or wounds in the skin and sometimes by inhaling or swallowing contaminated water.

There are a few simple things you can do to protect yourself and reduce your risk of exposure when working in dirty, wet conditions.

Importantly, if you don’t have to go into murky water—don’t! But if you do have to work in potentially hazardous soil environments, take these precautions:

• Remove debris using machinery where you can.
• Wear protective clothing (long clothing to cover arms and legs to prevent scrapes and wounds to the skin, as well as boots and gloves—remembering to wash work clothes regularly).
• Always wash your hands after removing PPE and before eating, smoking or touching your face.
• Clean and cover cuts, abrasions or other non-intact skin with a waterproof dressing.
• Where possible, avoid letting water lay around work areas near sheds and other buildings.

More information

For further Information, refer to Queensland Health wellbeing website.