Deadly bacteria that causes melioidosis, a rare tropical disease, found in Mississippi Gulf Coast, CDC says

Brian Broom, Mississippi Clarion Ledger
·2 min read
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JACKSON, Miss. — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday that a deadly bacteria has been found in environmental samples on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The discovery of the bacteria is the first in the United States.

According to a CDC news release, a person on the coast was diagnosed with melioidosis in 2020, a rare disease caused by a bacteria known as Burkholderia pseudomallei. A second person living in close geographic proximity was diagnosed with the disease in 2022.

The cases prompted state health officials and the CDC to take samples and test household products, soil, and water in and around both patients’ homes, with permission. The bacteria was found in samples of soil and standing water.

How long it has been on the coast and its spatial distribution isn't known, but the CDC said conditions are conducive to its growth along all Gulf Coast states.

The CDC stated an average of 12 cases of the disease occur annually in the U.S., but according to Mississippi state epidemiologist Paul Byers, most of those cases are due to travel to countries where the bacteria have been known to normally occur.

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"Typically, we see these bacteria in countries where the bacteria are endemic or where it normally occurs," Byers said. "Burkholderia pseudomallei normally occurs in tropical and sub-tropical areas like Southeast Asia or Central or South America. Because of the identification of this bacteria on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, persons at high risk for severe infection living on the Gulf Coast should take recommended precautions."

Melioidosis has a wide range of nonspecific symptoms such as fever, joint pain and headaches and can cause conditions that include pneumonia, abscess formation or blood infections. Worldwide, melioidosis is fatal in 10 to 50% of those infected, according to the CDC.

The Mississippi State Department of Health said most healthy people who come into contact with the bacteria, which is through direct contact with contaminated soil or water, never develop melioidosis. But individuals living on the Gulf Coast who have chronic illnesses such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease, chronic lung disease, or excessive alcohol use may be at risk of severe illness from infection and need to take precautions to protect themselves.

Those at risk should:

  • Avoid contact with soil or muddy water — especially after heavy rains.

  • Protect open wounds with waterproof dressing.

  • Wear waterproof boots when gardening, doing yard work or agricultural work. It is critical to prevent infection through the feet and lower legs (after flooding or storms).

  • Wear gloves to protect your hands when working directly with soil.

Follow Brian Broom on Twitter @BrianBroom.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi Gulf Coast: Bacteria that causes melioidosis found in U.S.