On Wednesday, the Centers for Illness Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that the bacteria responsible for a disease that kills up to half of the people it infects has been found for the first time on U.S. land.
Burkholderia pseudomallei, the pathogen that causes meliodosis, has been discovered in soil and water samples from the Gulf Coast of Mississippi.
The bacteria was discovered as part of a study of two cases that have been discovered in the area within the past several years. Approximately a dozen Americans contract the fatal sickness annually, but cases have usually been associated with international travel.
It was previously believed that the disease did not exist in the United States, but its discovery means that Americans can now contract it. However, officials were quick to reassure the public that the risk remained “very minimal.”
Globally, fifty percent of individuals with diagnosed illnesses ultimately perish as a result. Experts cautioned that the discovery was significant since it alerted physicians to be on the lookout for the condition in local patients.
In its advisory, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that it was ‘unclear’ how long the bacteria had been present in the United States and whether it had spread to other states.
However, they emphasized that environmental conditions along the Gulf Coast are “conducive” to the survival of the bacterium.
Earlier this year, the CDC initiated an inquiry after two unrelated patients who resided nearby were diagnosed with melioidosis in 2020 and 2022.
Three of the soil and water samples conducted surrounding the residences of both patients in 2022 were positive for the bacteria.
An epidemiologist with the CDC, Dr. Julie Petras, told STAT News that the discovery was significant since ‘clinicians… only consider melioidosis in patients who have recently been to an endemic location’
She continued, “They would not suspect melioidosis in a resident of the Gulf Coast region who has never gone.”
Therefore, the aim of this [alert] is to say, “Hey, we discovered it right here.” This disease is indigenous to the region. Be on alert. Because this disease can resemble numerous other conditions, it can be difficult to identify.’
Approximately 12 Americans contract the disease annually, but until recently, these occurrences were almost invariably associated with international travel.
Similar to numerous other bacterial illnesses, it is caused by exposure to infected soil or water.
Disease transmission from person to person is feasible but highly infrequent.
Some people may experience symptoms as early as 24 hours after exposure, while others may not experience symptoms for two to four weeks.
Health practitioners frequently initially misdiagnose it as tuberculosis, pneumonia, or other lung conditions.
Approximately fifty percent of those infected will perish, but this is largely due to the disease’s prevalence in less-developed nations, which may not have the same access to medicine as first-world countries.
In countries such as the United States, access to medicine reduces the risk of death to approximately 10%.
