Queensland Ambulance confirmed all four patients were stung at Wathumba Creek on K’Gari (Fraser Island) in three separate incidents, spread across two days.
The children were all airlifted to Hervey Bay Hospital, about 15 kilometres from the island, in a stable condition.
The patients included three girls and one boy.
The first sting occurred around 10.30am on December 27 and involved a primary school-aged girl who was stung across the chest.
Hours later, around 2.40pm, two other young girls were stung.
One of the patients was preschool-aged.
The next day, a young primary school-aged boy was stung around 2.30pm.
Jessica Strickland, a PhD candidate studying Irukandji jellyfish with Griffith University, told 9news.com.au the spate of stings around K’gari was concerning but not isolated.
“Generally Irukandji species are more likely to be found in tropical waters, but my understanding is we do get stings at K’gari each year,” she said.
“It’s usually around this time of year. Same for Double Island Point and Rainbow Beach area as well.
“Because jellyfish in general often have quite a patchy distribution, unfortunately it’s the case where if you get one sting, you can get a handful, if there’s a patch of them around.”
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The venom from Irukandji, and its larger cousin the box jellyfish, can cause a painful, and potentially lethal condition called Irukandji syndrome, which is associated with a sense of “impending doom”.
Strickland said there are “about 16” known species of stingers that can cause Irukandji syndrome.
She added more research is needed about the “mysterious” and tiny animals.
“Because different species have different lifecycles and ranges, not a lot is known about individual species,” she said.
“The knowledge is really limited.
“There really is need for more research, particularly in areas along the southern areas of the distribution, where people may not be aware they are present and what time of year to watch out for them”.
According to Queensland Ambulance, signs of Irukandji envenomation include:
- Severe backache or headache
- Shooting pains in muscles, chest and abdomen
- Nausea
- Anxiety
- Restlessness
- Vomiting
- Breathing difficulties
Should a swimmer suspect an encounter with an Irukandji, Queensland Ambulance urges patients to avoid rubbing the sting and to instead “immediately douse the sting area with vinegar for at least 30 seconds”.
“What the vinegar does is neutralises stinger cells that haven’t fired yet, that way you don’t get any more venom in your system,” Strickland said.
“And if it’s a suspected Irukandji or box jellyfish sting you should seek medical attention straight away.”
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