In the south of USA A bacterium has appeared that can lead to death, health authorities warned.
Although the bacterium still appears to be in early development and had only been detected in tropical climates, it is thought that the heat wave the world is currently experiencing has contributed, to some extent, to its development in normally more temperate climates.
The bacterium, named Burkholderia pseudomalleiwas found on the property of a Mississippi man who had contracted the disease it produces, named Melioidosis.
Authorities have no idea when its spread began, but say it is probably present in other areas of the Gulf of Mexico and may have entered the country through Central America.
Still, American doctors should consider the possibility of the presence of melioidosiseven in patients who have not traveled to other countries, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.
“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.
The disease can start with a wide range of symptoms such as fever, joint pain and headaches. It’s treatable with the right antibiotics if caught early, but it can lead to pneumonia, blood infections and even death if not treated properly, she said.
So far, about 12 cases have been detected annually in the United States. The vast majority have been people who traveled to countries where the bacteria is endemic, including certain regions of Australia, Thailand, and Central and South America.
People can get the disease through direct contact with contaminated soil and water, especially if they have a wound on a hand or foot. Also, it is possible to inhale the bacteria.
It may not affect healthy people, but it can be dangerous for those with diabetes, chronic kidney or lung disease, and immune problems.
Last year, four people were infected despite the fact that none of them had traveled internationally. Authorities attributed his illness to an aromatherapy spray imported from India.
The new finding explains two cases in Mississippi in men who had not traveled, officials said. One contracted melioidosis in 2020, and the other, who lives about 16 kilometers from the first, was infected this year. They both recovered.
The discovery of this bacterium in the United States is significant, but not surprising. Researchers have long believed that local soil contamination was a cause of infections in Texas’ Atascosa County in 2004 and 2018, CDC officials said.
