AN extended trip to spend more time with her loved ones turned a very dark turn after 74-year-old Carmel Rodrigo contracted a life-threatening disease that is causing a stir in Australia.
She traveled to Melbourne from Sri Lanka at the start of the year to see her daughter and grandchildren when she suddenly experienced a high fever and screamed in so much pain in the middle of the night a few weeks ago.
Her daughter rushed her to the hospital where doctors warned the patient has a 10 percent chance of survival.
Doctors soon diagnosed that the 74-year-old was infected with a “flesh-eating” disease known as Buruli ulcer which inflicts permanent damage to the skin and soft tissue.
It is capable of killing an infected person within 24 hours if left untreated.
New research published in January suggested that mosquitoes and possums played a role in transmitting the infection.
The disease sparked great concern in Australia in recent years, with the state of Victoria alone having recorded 363 Buruli ulcer cases since 2004, the highest on record.
