The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified the bacteria behind the potentially fatal disease melioidosis for the first time on US soil. announced (opens in new tab) Wednesday (July 27).
Historically speaking bacteriais called Burkholderia pseudomallei, mainly seen in Southeast Asia and northern Australia, where many cases of melioidosis occur each year, but the bacteria are also found in Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and parts of Central and South America. Only about 12 cases in an average year melioidosis Occurs in the US and these cases are usually associated with international travel to any country B. pseudomallei often grown, or imported products. For example, in 2021, two people fell ill and another two died imported aromatherapy spray contaminated with bacteria.
But now health officials have found the bacteria in soil and water samples taken from the Gulf Coast south of Mississippi.
“Once well formed in the soil, B. pseudomallei It cannot be eradicated,” the CDC said in its health advisory. “Public health efforts should focus primarily on improving case detection so that appropriate treatment can be administered.”
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The CDC has begun testing soil and water in Mississippi B. pseudomallei A disease that occurs after two relatives in the area have melioidosis B. pseudomallei It can have a wide range of symptoms and is fatal in up to half of all diagnosed cases worldwide. The melioidosis cases occurred two years apart, in July 2020 and May 2022, and neither person had traveled outside the United States before becoming infected.
Both patients were hospitalized after intensive care immune caused by the reaction (sepsis). pneumonia, and both recovered after treatment with antibiotics. Genetic testing revealed that the two patients were infected with the same strain B. pseudomallei.
With the patients’ permission, the CDC and the Mississippi State Department of Health collected soil, water, and plants from people’s household items, possessions, and nearby areas they frequented. Soil and pond water from the patient’s property in 2020 tested positive for genetic similarity B. pseudomallei burden on both patients.
Based on these findings, the CDC concluded that “environmental bacteria were the source of infection for both individuals and have been present in the area since at least 2020.”
People can become infected B. pseudomallei when bacteria come into contact with an open skin cut or abrasion. They can also become infected by breathing in contaminated water droplets or dust particles, swallowing contaminated water droplets, or eating food grown in contaminated soil.
In which areas B. pseudomallei common and common in humans, most healthy people who come into contact with the bacteria never develop melioidosis, the CDC noted; in other words, exposure to bacteria does not always cause disease. However, people with weakened immune systems, diabetes mellituscancer, hereditary blood disease thalassemia and liverkidney or lungs the risk of morbidity and mortality after the disease is high. According to the CDC, excessive alcohol consumption also increases the risk of severe melioidosis.
Melioidosis can cause a wide range of symptoms, including fever, localized pain or swelling, sores, purulent lesions on the skin and various organs, cough, chest pain, difficulty breathing, weight loss, abdominal discomfort, muscle and joint pain, disorientation, headache. and holds. Lung infections can lead to pneumonia, and blood infections can lead to septic shock, Live Science previously reported. Worldwide, approximately 10% to 50% of diagnosed cases of melioidosis are fatal, according to the CDC.
If you live or visit the Mississippi Gulf Coast, especially if you have one of the medical conditions listed above, the CDC recommends taking the following steps to protect yourself:
- Avoid contact with dirt or muddy water, especially after heavy rain.
- Use waterproof bandages to protect open wounds, cuts, or burns from contact with soil or water. Wash open wounds, cuts, or burns thoroughly if they come in contact with dirt.
- If you have diabetes, pay attention to foot care to prevent contamination of foot ulcers or other open wounds. Wear shoes and gloves when gardening or working outside (such as yard work or agricultural work).
- If you work or play outside, wear waterproof shoes during and after a flood or storm to prevent infection from entering the feet and lower legs.
- If you are sick and have signs or symptoms of melioidosis, call your doctor or go to the emergency room. You can be treated with antibiotics that your doctor will prescribe.
- If you have been diagnosed with melioidosis, be sure to complete all antibiotics prescribed by your doctor.
- drinking safe water; Do not drink directly from shallow wells, lakes, rivers, ponds, and streams.
Originally published on Live Science.