Life-threatening bacteria detected in US soil for the first time

The bacterium, Burkholderia pseudomallei, was found along the Gulf Coast region of southern Mississippi. Previously, it had been detected in parts of Asia and Australia.

Potentially deadly bacteria first found in samples of water and soil in the United States, prompting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to alert doctors and public health experts across the country on Wednesday to take this into account when examining patients. p>

The bacterium, Burkholderia pseudomallei, has been detected in the Gulf Coast region of southern Mississippi. Exposure to the bacteria can cause melioidosis, a "rare and serious disease," according to the C.D.C. ; according to a 2019 study, about one in 4,600 exposed people has the disease. The study also revealed that approximately 90,000 people die each year from melioidosis.

“Once well established in the soil, B. pseudomallei cannot be realistically removed from the ground,” the C.D.C. wrote in his health notice. "Public health efforts should focus primarily on improving case identification so that appropriate treatment can be administered."

Samples show that the bacteria has been present in the Mississippi region since at least 2020, when a person from the Gulf Coast region was found to have melioidosis, although it is not known exactly how long Burkholderia pseudomallei, also known as B. pseudomallei, has been present in the area.

The bacterium has already been found in regions with tropical and subtropical climates around the world, such as South and Southeast Asia, northern Australia and parts of Central and South America. The C.D.C. said modeling showed that the southern Mississippi climate was also suitable for growing it.

Environmental sampling in Mississippi was done after two patients from the area were diagnosed with melioidosis, two years apart — one in July 2020, the other in May 2022. The unnamed people were unrelated, the C.D.C. said, but lived in "geographic proximity" and had not recently traveled outside the United States.

Genome sequencing data showed the two individuals had been infected with the same new strain from the Western Hemisphere, officials said. Both patients were hospitalized and recovered after antibiotic therapy.

Last month, the Mississippi State Health Department and the C.D.C. collected environmental samples of soil, water, and plant matter from patients' properties, household products, and nearby areas they frequented.

The bacteria may infect animals and people through direct contact or through cuts and wounds. The risk of person-to-person spread is low, officials said. Symptoms usually occur between one day and three weeks after exposure.

Most cases of melioidosis occur outside the United States, the C.D.C. said. But last year, four people in four different states were infected with melioidosis after using a contaminated aromatherapy spray sold at Walmart. Two of the four people died, officials said. said, but symptoms include fever, localized pain or swelling, chest pain, and headache. People with diabetes, excessive alcohol consumption, chronic lung disease, chronic kidney disease and immunosuppressive diseases are more susceptible to the bacteria. Officials said prompt diagnosis and antibiotics were crucial.

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