Flesh-eating bacteria spread from possums and mozzies. But Buruli ulcers are preventable and treatable

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A number of cases of the flesh-eating Buruli ulcer have now been detected on the New South Wales south coast.

There is growing evidence mosquitoes are at least partly responsible for the spread of this “flesh-eating” bacteria, with possums also implicated. Health authorities have urged locals to avoid mosquito bites.