Victorian girl dies after potential petting zoo bacteria exposure | ABC News Top Stories

A Victorian girl has died after a weeks-long battle against an infectious disease that her parents say may have been caused by bacteria she contracted at a petting zoo. The girl's family confirmed she had been in hospital with a brain injury and kidney failure caused by haemolytic uraemic syndrome. The syndrome is caused by a type of bacteria known as STEC which can be transmitted from animals to humans. Barnaby Joyce has accused the Coalition of copying One Nation's policy to cut the tobacco excise. One Nation is promising to slash the excise by 75 per cent, and today the Opposition announced it plans to cut the tax by 80 per cent in an effort to reduce the profits of the illicit tobacco market. The World Meteorological Organisation has warned the world is facing a 'supersized' El Nino that is intensifying and will likely persist into early next year. An El Nino was declared by the Bureau of Meteorology in June, the climate pattern typically brings hotter and drier conditions to large parts of Australia. Models indicate this year's event will become the strongest on record, but that doesn't necessarily translate to severe impacts.  Press the 'Follow' or '+' button on this show page to add us to your playlist, so you never miss an episode. For more news, politics and current affairs podcasts go to ABC listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices