Bacteria behind melioidosis, a deadly tropical disease, found in US for 1st time

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Wednesday that the potentially fatal disease melioidosis has been found in the US for the first time.

Most of the cases of melioidosis occur in northern Australia and Southeast Asia, but it can also be found in Puerto Rico. In an average year, only about 12 cases of melioidosis occur in the U.S., and these cases can usually be linked to international travel. Two people died and two others became sick after using an imported spray that was contaminated with the bacterium.

The soil and water samples were collected from the southern part of Mississippi.

According to the CDC, B. pseudomallei can't be removed from the soil once it's established. Improving the identification of cases is what public health efforts should be focused on.

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The CDC began testing Mississippi soil and water for B. pseudomallei after two unrelated individuals fell ill with melioidosis, a disease caused by B. pseudomallei that can have a wide range of symptoms. Two melioidosis cases occurred within two years of each other, one in July 2020 and the other in May 2022.

Both patients were treated with antibiotics after they developed a body-wide immune reaction due to pneumonia. Both patients were found to be carrying the same strain of B. pseudomallei.

The Mississippi State Department of Health and the CDC collected soil, water, and plants from the people's homes, properties, and nearby areas. There is a genetically similar strain of B. pseudomallei found in the 2020 patient's property.

The CDC found thatbacteria from the environment was the likely source of infections for both individuals.

When B. pseudomallei comes into contact with the skin, it can cause an open cut. They can get sick if they ingest contaminated water droplets or eat food grown in contaminated soil.

Most healthy people who are exposed to B. pseudomallei don't get melioidosis, according to the CDC. People with weakened immune systems, diabetes, cancer, the inherited blood disorder and other diseases are more likely to die from exposure. The risk of melioidosis is raised by excessive alcohol use.

A wide range of symptoms can be caused by meloidosis, which can include a high temperature, swelling, blisters, chest pain, respiratory distress, weight loss, abdominal pain, muscle and joint pain, headaches, and convulsions. Infections of the lungs and bloodstream can lead to death. According to the CDC, 10% to 50% of melioidosis cases end in death.

If you live in or visit the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, the CDC recommends that you take the following precautions to protect yourself.

• Avoid contact with soil or muddy water, particularly after heavy rains.
• Use waterproof bandages to protect open wounds, cuts or burns from coming into contact with soil or water. If open wounds, cuts or burns come into contact with soil, wash them thoroughly.
• If you have diabetes, pay attention to foot care, and prevent contamination of foot wounds or other open wounds. Wear footwear and use gloves when gardening or working outdoors (for example, while doing yard work or agricultural work).
• If you're working or playing outside, wear waterproof boots during and after flooding or storms, which can prevent infection through the feet and lower legs.
• Visit your doctor or go to the emergency room if you are ill and have signs or symptoms of melioidosis. It can be treated with antibiotics that your doctor can prescribe to you.
• If you are diagnosed with melioidosis, be sure to complete all of the antibiotics your doctor prescribes.
• Drink safe water; do not drink water directly from shallow wells, lakes, rivers, ponds and streams.

It was originally published on Live Science