Farmer ‘lucky to be alive’ after contracting deadly rodent-borne disease during mouse plague

A farmer in plague-ravaged central west New South Wales is believed to be the first known person in Australia to contract a rodent-borne form of meningitis.

Last month Darrell Jordison of Gulargambone was diagnosed with lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM), which NSW Health describes as a “very rare” type of bacterial meningitis.

An online search does not suggest there have been other Australian cases of the disease, but a February report from…