Search
Press "Enter" to search and "ESC" to close.
Inicio » English » Health » Bacteria that can cause deadly infections found in US soil and water for the first time

Bacteria that can cause deadly infections found in US soil and water for the first time

Suscríbete a Nuestro Boletín
Recibe por email las noticias más destacadas
bacteria
  • A bacterium that can cause deadly infections has been found for the first time in US soil and water.
  • Health authorities confirmed the find.
  • The bacterium could cause melioidosis.

A potentially deadly type of bacteria previously found only in parts of South Asia, Africa or Australia has been detected for the first time in soil and water samples in the United States, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported Wednesday.

The bacterium, Burkholderia pseudomallei, can cause a disease called melioidosis, which has been fatal in half of cases worldwide. About a dozen cases are discovered in the United States each year, usually among people who had traveled abroad. However, on Wednesday, the CDC announced that the bacteria had been found for the first time in soil and water samples along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, reported NBCNews.

Life-threatening bacteria found in US soil and water

Life-threatening bacteria found in US soil and water

Following this discovery, the CDC issued a health alert to physicians across the country to be on the lookout for symptoms of melioidosis, which can be vague. They include cough, fever and chest pain. In more severe cases, the disease can cause disorientation, a pneumonia-like illness and seizures, according to NBC News.

“It is unclear how long the bacteria has been in the environment and where else it might be found in the United States,” the CDC said in a statement. However, Dr. Jill Weatherhead, an assistant professor of tropical medicine and infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, was not surprised that the bacteria had entered the country.

Where was the bacteria found?

Where was the bacteria found?

“We live in a subtropical climate here in the United States along the Gulf Coast, where it’s hot and humid. This is a suitable environment for Burkholderia pseudomallei,” she commented. The bacteria has the potential to thrive anywhere along the Gulf Coast and could become endemic, she said.

The discovery of the bacteria on American soil comes after two unrelated people who lived nearby in Mississippi fell ill with melioidosis, one in 2020 and the other in 2022. According to the CDC’s health alert for physicians, both patients were hospitalized with sepsis after developing pneumonia. Both received antibiotics and recovered.

The danger of Burkholderia pseudomallei

The danger it represents
This photo provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows several colonies of the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, which can cause melioidosis, a rare and sometimes fatal disease once thought to be confined to warmer tropical climates. (Dr. Todd Parker, Audra Marsh/CDC via AP)

Samples taken from soil and puddles near patients’ homes contained the bacteria, confirming its presence in the country, the CDC said. The same bacteria was also found last year in contaminated aromatherapy room spray that sickened four people in Georgia, Kansas, Minnesota and Texas.

The cases were not related to the current alert as the spray had been imported from India, where Burkholderia pseudomallei is endemic, the NBC News report stated. Two of those people, including a 5-year-old boy, died. The other two patients were left with lasting physical and mental health problems.

How is melioidosis transmitted?

How is it transmitted?

Walmart, which sold that imported product, recalled almost 4,000 bottles of the roos spray called Better Homes & Gardens Lavender & Chamomile Essential Oil Infused Aromatherapy Room Spray with Gemstone. And while the bacteria has now been found in US soil and water, infectious disease experts say it’s unlikely to cause widespread harm.

“It takes significant exposure,” whether through an open sore or ingestion, to cause illness in people, said Dr. Chris Woods, a professor of medicine at the Duke Global Health Institute. Usually, he stated, that happens in places where the bacteria have grown and concentrated. The AP noted that people can contract the disease through direct contact with contaminated soil and water, especially if they have a wound on a hand or foot. It is also possible to inhale the bacteria.

Is melioidosis curable?

Is melioidosis curable?
Reference photo: Shutterstock

While melioidosis can be treated with certain intravenous antibiotics, doctors say it can be difficult to make a correct diagnosis in time to help patients, according to the NBC News report. The CDC said that people living along the Gulf Coast might want to take extra precautions when in contact with soil or muddy water, such as wearing waterproof boots and covering open wounds.

The AP also reported that the bacteria was found on the property of a Mississippi man who had contracted melioidosis. «Once it’s in the ground, it can be a health threat to people in the area,» said Julia Petras of the CDC, who oversaw the investigation.

Etiquetas: ,
Related post
Regresar al Inicio