A potentially deadly bacteria has been found in US soil and water for the first time. These are the symptoms of an infection the CDC has said to look out for.

• For the first time in the US, a potentially deadlybacteria has been found.

• The disease melioidosis is caused by the bacterium.

• The Gulf Coast region of Mississippi has an endemic disease.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked healthcare workers to be on the lookout for symptoms in patients after a potentially deadly bacteria was found in the US for the first time.

A disease called melioidosis, which is caused by the Burkholderia pseudomallei, can kill up to 50% of people around the world, according to the CDC.

Two unrelated melioidosis cases were diagnosed in 2020 and 2022, respectively, the CDC said. Both were taken to the hospital and treated with antibiotics.

The CDC said that the bacteria is now considered endemic in certain parts of the region.

Melioidosis causes nonspecific symptoms like fever and headaches

People can get Burkholderia pseudomallei if they have direct contact with contaminated soil or if they cut their skin. The risk of spreading from one person to another was very low.

The brain can be affected by meloidosis. The parts of the body affected have different symptoms.

There are a number of symptoms, including: cough, chest pain, loss of appetite, tummy pain, and headaches.

When patients show these symptoms, the CDC wants healthcare professionals to think about the disease.

It can take two to four weeks for symptoms to develop, but it can be as fast as an hour. The CDC says that 5% of cases have symptoms develop years after exposure.

People with health conditions are more likely to die from melioidosis. Diabetes, excessive alcohol use, chronic lung disease, chronic kidneys disease, and any condition that weakens the immune system are included.

The two people in Mississippi who caught the bacteria hadn't traveled outside the US

thailand, northern Australia, and Puerto Rico are some of the places where burkeria pseudomallei is found.

The CDC says that an average of 12 melioidosis cases are reported each year, but most patients have recently traveled to a country where the disease is endemic. The two Mississippi cases were not in the US.

It's not clear how long the bacteria has been in the region or if it's spread to other parts of the country.

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