Cairns woman Leichan Williams was tidying up her driveway before picking up the melioidosis infection. Picture: Queensland Health
A woman has issued a life-and-death warning to all Aussies about a hidden killer lurking in their gardens after a simple clean-up almost left her dead.
Cairns woman Leichan Williams was tidying up her driveway before picking up the melioidosis infection that almost killed her.
Melioidosis is an often-fatal infection caused by bacteria that thrive in tropical soil and water. The disease can be transmitted through broken skin, inhalation and ingestion.
Ms Williams picked up the infection during her routine yard maintenance, becoming one of more than 130 people infected in 2025 – she was simply pulling weeds from her driveway when the illness struck her down
“I came home from work, jumped out of the car and went to clean the grass and debris out of the drain near our driveway,” she said.
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Communities in Cairns are more prone to infection due to their tropical climate. Picture: Brendan Radke
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“We’ve got four cars, so I didn’t want the drain to block because it was really heavy rain. I wasn’t wearing much protection, just quickly doing it. I reckon that’s how it started.”
Melioidosis cases have been spiking as a result of wet conditions throughout Australia’s tropics and Queensland has reported 47 cases in 2026 already.
Ms Williams survived the deadly infection but took weeks to recover from the debilitating symptoms.
“Melioidosis isn’t going anywhere. It’s always in the soil,” the 50-year-old told Queensland Health.
“Don’t garden after heavy rain, wear personal protective equipment: gloves, boots, even masks if needed. You wouldn’t ride a motorbike in thongs — this is the same thing.
“Melio is not something to play with. It’s worse than your worst enemy.”
Ms Williams’ experience after contracting the infection reads like a medical horror story.
She said workmates noted her extreme weight loss – 11kg in three weeks – and the extreme exhaustion she developed made every day a struggle.
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Melioidosis is primarily treated with intravenous antibiotics. Picture: Menzies School of Health Research
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Ms Williams eventually sought medical help but, by then, the infection had spread to her leg, back and heart before she also developed a blood clot.
Doctors even considered amputating Ms Williams’ leg after two surgeries, resulting in them flushing 16L of fluid and scraping away 20cm of her femur, failed to fully remove the infection.
Strong doses of antibiotics and constant monitoring eventually got Ms Williams’ condition under control but her recovery journey is ongoing.
It took months for her to return to work and health officials say the Cairns resident will need to be monitored for three years due to her high risk of reinfection.
“Being 50, diabetic and with high blood pressure, I fit all the risk categories,” Ms Williams said.
Experts say melioidosis and other harmful bacteria are always lurking beneath the surface of our yards and just a little rain can bring it out.
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