Former Rugby League front rower Sam Backo is fighting for his life in the intensive care unit of Cairns Hospital after contracting melioidosis, a potentially deadly tropical disease. The 64-year-old watched the State of Origin clash from his hospital bed, where he has been since April after being diagnosed with the infection.
Backo, who played for Queensland seven times between 1988 and 1990, is no stranger to health battles. Just two years ago, he survived a massive heart attack and underwent quadruple bypass surgery. Despite his current ordeal, Backo expressed gratitude for his family’s support. “I’m very grateful for my wife, who’s been beside me through this journey … all my family that have been praying for me,” he said. “That’s all they can really do.”
Melioidosis Surge in Queensland
This year has seen a dramatic rise in melioidosis cases in Queensland, with 236 notifications and 34 deaths reported from January 1 to July 6, primarily in the Cairns and Townsville regions. The 123 notifications in Cairns alone represent a fourfold increase compared to the average for the same period over the previous five years.
Melioidosis is caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, a bacterium found in soil and water in tropical and subtropical regions. It often surfaces during flooding or excavations and can be contracted through contact with contaminated soil or water, especially through cuts or abrasions, or by inhaling dust or water droplets.
“The race to understand the ‘zoo of bacteria’ that’s killing Queenslanders continues,” experts say, as the disease outbreak associated with the wet season in northern Australia poses a medical mystery.
Backo’s Personal Battle
Backo believes he contracted the disease during a swim in Freshwater Creek at Goomboora Park in Cairns, where he had an open sore. “If anybody knows Goomboora, they’ll know it’s changed a little bit since the flooding,” he explained. “When I was sitting in the water I felt this little sting on that scratch — that’s where I got the entry from.”
Initially dismissing his symptoms, Backo was urged by his wife and daughters to seek medical attention. After four days of deteriorating health, he was taken to Cairns Hospital. “I’m leaning on a bollard and an old gentleman and his wife come walking up past me,” Backo recalled. “He’s looked at me and he said, ‘Mate, are you alright?’ I knew then that something was wrong.”
Complications in Recovery
Melioidosis can cause a range of symptoms, including skin infections, ulcers, and pneumonia. It can also enter the bloodstream, leading to severe complications such as high fever, organ failure, and septic shock. Backo’s condition was further complicated by his previous heart attack, requiring him to be placed into an induced coma for 12 days.
He now awaits a bed at Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane for an upgrade from an implantable cardioverter defibrillator to a pacemaker. Despite being over the worst of the melioidosis, his doctors have advised him to “get [his] affairs in order” due to his other health conditions. “I previously said to them, you know, ‘When your time’s up, your time’s up’ — but I’ve had a rethink,” he admitted. “I have 16 beautiful grandchildren. I want to see them grow up into strong people.”
Preventive Measures and Expert Advice
Dr. Jacqui Murdoch, director of tropical health services at Cairns Hospital and Hinterland Health Service, noted that melioidosis is uncommon in healthy adults and rarely seen in children. However, it can occur in individuals with pre-existing conditions such as diabetes or those with weakened immune systems.
“Try not to work outside if it’s raining, control your diabetes and try to reduce your alcohol intake,” Dr. Murdoch advised. “When you go outside, wear protective footwear and gloves, wash your skin thoroughly after exposure to soil or muddy water, and wear a mask if you’re using a hose or high-pressure cleaner around soil.”
Backo, who was told off for cheering too loudly during the State of Origin match, praised the medical staff at Cairns Hospital. “They’re the ones that have been saving me the whole way through,” he said, referring to them as his “angels.”
As Backo continues his recovery, the surge in melioidosis cases in Queensland underscores the need for increased awareness and preventive measures to protect vulnerable populations from this deadly disease.
