Australian medical officials are braced for outbreaks of disease in the country's northeast, with filthy floodwaters harbouring sewage, dead animals and dangerous debris.
Dozens of towns have been inundated, including large areas of Brisbane, Australia's third-largest city.
The floods peaked - at around a metre below feared levels - at dawn, sparing thousands more properties in the besieged river city.
Queensland's state premier Anna Bligh said relief was tinged with despair at the damage to homes and major landmarks, as well as the scale of the 'post-war' rebuilding effort ahead for the city of two million people.
'I'm grateful Mother Nature hasn't been as terrible as she could have been, but people are waking up to unbearable agony across our city today,' Ms Bligh told Sky News.
More than 100,000 Brisbane homes are without power and fresh water supplies have been cut or compromised in some areas, while raw sewage has spilled into waterways from submerged homes across Queensland.
'We anticipate the number of patients with infections to swell as food, water and sanitation continue to be compromised,' the Australian Medical Association (AMA) warned.
'Infections may vary from ingestion varieties including gastroenteritis and parasitic infestations causing vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal pains to systemic infections.'
Mosquito-borne diseases are also expected to surge as the insects multiply in the stagnant waters, and any cut exposed to the water should be treated with antiseptic and closely monitored, AMA Queensland president Gino Pecoraro said.
'People should avoid wading in even shallow water as it may be contaminated. If you must enter shallow floodwaters wear solid boots for protection,' Mr Pecoraro said, urging people to seek medical advice and a tetanus shot for more serious injuries.
