mystery illness

'Mystery illness' surfaces after floods

A MYSTERY illness has reportedly emerged among residents of the Lockyer Valley in Queensland, triggered by the flash floods that ravaged the town earlier this week. According to Dr Richard Kidd, president-elect of AMA Queensland, health authorities were investigating reports of an illness in several people in the area. The illness is suspected to be the tropical disease melioidosis, caused by the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei found in soil and water. "At the moment, I know that there is no certainty about what it is – all we know at this stage is it's a ...