Former Rugby League front rower Sam Backo continues to fight for his life after contracting the potentially deadly tropical disease melioidosis in Cairns. The 64-year-old watched Wednesday's night's State of Origin clash from the intensive care unit (ICU) at Cairns Hospital. Backo, who represented Queensland seven times between 1988 and 1990, has been in hospital since he was diagnosed with the disease in April. The infection comes two years after he survived a massive heart attack and underwent quadruple bypass surgery. "I'm very grateful for my wife, who's been beside me through this journey … all my family that have been praying for me," Backo said. Surge in cases Melioidosis cases have spiked dramatically in Queensland this year, with 236 notifications and 34 deaths, mostly in the Cairns and Townsville regions, recorded between January 1 and July 6. The 123 notifications in Cairns represented a fourfold increase on the average number of cases for the same period over the previous five years. The disease is caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, a soil-dwelling bacterium endemic to tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world. The bacteria is often brought to the surface during flooding or excavations. Melioidosis is primarily contracted via contact with contaminated soil or water, most commonly through cuts or abrasions, but can also be caught through the inhalation of dust or water droplets. Most people who become acutely ill develop symptoms within one to 21 days of exposure, although the disease can lie dormant in the human body for months, years or decades. Backo believes he was infected during a swim in Freshwater Creek at Goomboora Park in the Cairns suburb of Brinsmead. He had a small open sore on his upper buttock at the time. "If anybody knows Goomboora, they'll know it's changed a little bit since the flooding," Backo said. Reality sets in Backo tried to ignore the symptoms when they first appeared. "My wife kept saying to me, 'Darl, I think you should go to the doctor,'" he said. "Then my daughters said I looked a bit grey in colour. After four days of deteriorating health, Backo finally agreed to seek medical help. His wife, Chrissy Warren-Backo, took him to Cairns Hospital and dropped him at the front entrance while she found a park. "I'm leaning on a bollard and an old gentleman and his wife come walking up past me," Backo said. "He's looked at me and he said, 'Mate, are you alright?' "I knew then that something was wrong." Complications in hospital Melioidosis can trigger a range of symptoms, including skin infections, ulcers and pneumonia. The bacteria can also enter the bloodstream and spread to other parts of the body, causing high fever, organ failure and septic shock. Backo's condition has been complicated by his heart attack, which led to him being placed into an induced coma for 12 days. He is now waiting for a bed at Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane so he can have his implantable cardioverter defibrillator upgraded to a pacemaker. Backo said he was over the worst of the melioidosis but, given his other medical conditions, doctors had spoken with him about "getting [his] affairs in order" in case the worst happened. "I previously said to them, you know, 'When your time's up, your time's up' — but I've had a rethink," he said. "I have 16 beautiful grandchildren. Avoiding infection Cairns Hospital and Hinterland Health Service tropical health services director Jacqui Murdoch said melioidosis was uncommon in healthy adults, and rarely seen in children. But she said it occasionally occurred in people with pre-existing medical conditions such diabetes or those with kidney or lung problems, or in people on medication that lowered the immune system. Dr Murdoch urged anyone who may be at higher risk to take precautions to avoid infection. "Try not to work outside if it's raining, control your diabetes and try to reduce your alcohol intake," she said. "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. Origin-night boost Backo awoke feeling relatively chipper on Thursday morning after Queensland's textbook State of Origin win. But the former Canberra Raider did cop some strife for cheering too loudly while watching the game. "One of the nurses came around and roused on me," Backo said. "I tried to keep quiet for the rest of the game." He said the medical staff at Cairns Hospital were his "angels". "They're the ones that have been saving me the whole way through," Backo said.