"A lot of patients will have pneumonia with sepsis, and or sepsis, which is associated with higher mortality and worse outcomes," she said.Īccording to Petras, the key to combating melioidosis is early diagnosis and the right treatment. Once infected, the bacterium attacks various organs including the lungs, brain and any organ with an abscess. One occurred in the womb and the other was from sexual intercourse, but how the transmission happened isn't known. It's very rare that the bacterium can be transmitted from one person to another, she said. "Excessive alcohol use is also a known risk factor, and binge drinking has actually been associated with cases as well from endemic areas," Petras said. Those most at risk for a serious bout of melioidosis are people with diabetes and those with chronic liver or kidney disease or any autoimmune disease, she explained. It can also be ingested by drinking contaminated water, she noted. The most common ways the bacterium infects people is through open wounds or by being inhaled during a severe storm with high winds. All three patients who were infected responded to treatment and recovered, Petras said. mallei don't have symptoms of the infection and develop antibodies against it, many more people have most likely been infected, she said. Gulf Coast and infections may be seen from Texas to Florida, Petras said.īut because most people exposed to B. Melioidosis is now considered endemic to the U.S. The most recent case was reported in Mississippi in January, following two previous cases in the same county in Mississippi in July 2020 and May 2022. Mostly in subtropical and tropical climates," said Julia Petras, an epidemic intelligence service officer with CDC's National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases.
"It is an environmental organism that lives naturally in the soil, and typically freshwater in certain areas around the world. The bacteria causes melioidosis, which can be fatal if left untreated. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So far, three cases of infection from the bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei have been reported to the U.S.
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