A record number of cases of Buruli ulcers, a flesh-eating condition, were recorded in Victoria, Australia, in 2023.
Buruli ulcers are a "chronic debilitating disease caused by environmental Mycobacterium ulcerans," according to the World Health Organisation.
While it mostly affects peoples' skin, it can also eat away at bone with the potential to lead to permanent disfigurement and long-term disability.
There is no prevention for the disease.
Around 363 cases of Buruli ulcers were diagnosed in Victoria last year.
While the ulcers were once rare in Australia, they have become more common in a few areas including northern Queensland, the Northern Territory, and Victoria.
Mycobacterium ulcerans, the bacteria that causes the disease, is transmitted by mosquitoes, but doctors still do not know how it spreads.
The first sign of infection is usually a small painless lump, easily dismissed as a bug bite.
If left untreated, the slow-moving infection burrows into the layer of fat between the skin and the lining that covers muscles.
It will then spread through the body before erupting through the skin as an ulcer.
If the Buruli ulcers are particularly deep, scarring of the muscles and tendons can also cause permanent disabilities.
If the ulcers are caught early enough while still small, they can be treated by antibiotics and usually heal within six months.
While most of Victoria's cases did not get to severe stages, the Victorian Department of Health emphasised the importance of early diagnosis.
People living in or visiting coastal areas where mosquitoes were present were advised to take precautions.
"Victorians should use an insect repellent with DEET [diethyltoluamide], cover up when outdoors and practice good hygiene by washing new scratches and cuts," Victoria's acting health minister Ingrid Stitt said on Thursday.
Those who live in coastal areas were also advised to mosquito-proof their homes if they had not already.
In recent years, the Buruli infection has spread to areas outside of where it is typically found.
In 2022, 2121 new cases were reported across the world, predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa and Australia.
