Experts in the US are sounding the alarm over the danger of a lethal bacterium found in the gardens that have killed at least five people in Australia this year. Known as Burkholderia pseudomallei – the bacteria present in soil and water in tropical regions, leads to Melioidosis - a lung infection that results in pneumonia or sepsis, and has a mortality rate of up to 50 per cent in a few cases. According to doctors, wet weather like hurricanes and rain – increasingly becoming common in the US heightens the risk of the bacteria rising to the top of soil in gardens and backyards.
While mostly found in tropical climates like Southeast Asia and Australia, the infection can spread to many coastal areas of the US, like Mississippi, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. How does melioidosis affect? According to experts, you can get melioidosis from direct contact with contaminated soil or water and its symptoms vary depending on how you got infected and whether you have underlying conditions. Both humans and animals can get melioidosis, but people cannot get it from animals.
Melioidosis is also sometimes called Whitmore’s disease. Last year, officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned about B. pseudomallei, which is now endemic to the coastal areas of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida.
Signs and symptoms of melioidosis The signs and symptoms of melioidosis depend on where the infection is located in your body, a few of which include: Cough Breath.