Sydney, May 15 -- The death toll from an outbreak of a tropical disease linked to heavy rainfall and flooding in northern Australia has increased to 31.
According to the latest data from the health department in Queensland reported by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Wednesday, 31 people have died from melioidosis in the state in 2025.
It said that one person, from the coastal city of Townsville in tropical northern Queensland, died from melioidosis in the past week.
In the same period, there were four new reported cases: one in Townsville and three in the city of Cairns, further north. It takes the total number of reported cases in Queensland in 2025 to 221, an increase of 163 compared to the same point in 2024.
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