What’s melioidosis? CDC raises alarm as handful of cases found in 3 states — one fatal
Federal health officials are investigating three cases of melioidosis, also known as Whitmore’s disease, among two adults and one child in the U.S. — one of which was fatal ten days after the person was hospitalized.
It’s unclear exactly where the infected people reside, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention health advisory released Wednesday said the Kansas, Texas and Minnesota health departments were assisting the investigation.
The infectious disease is caused by a bacterium that can infect humans and animals. It’s a “Tier 1 select agent,” meaning it carries the “greatest risk of deliberate misuse with significant potential for mass casualties or devastating effect to the economy, critical infrastructure, or public confidence, and poses a severe threat to public health and safety.”
The first and fatal case was identified in March. The person had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic liver damage, or cirrhosis, both of which are considered risk factors for melioidosis.
The other two cases were reported in May, according to the CDC. One of the patients is still hospitalized and the other patient has been discharged to a “transitional care unit.”
The bacterium is primarily found in tropical climates, particularly in Southeast Asia and northern Australia, and mostly lives in contaminated water and soil.
However, health officials say the three reported cases are “unusual” because none of the patients recently traveled outside of the U.S.
Genetic sequencing of patient samples suggests the patients contracted the disease from a common source, “such as an imported product or animal; however, that source has not been positively identified to date.”
Melioidosis isn’t normally spread between people via air or respiratory droplets, though there have been a few documented cases, the CDC said. Infection usually occurs through direct contact with the contaminated source.
What are the symptoms of melioidosis?
The three people with confirmed melioidosis in the U.S. first had a cough, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, fever and rashes on their butt, stomach and face. They were all later diagnosed with infectious encephalitis, or brain inflammation.
But the CDC warns the disease’s symptoms are “varied and nonspecific,” including pneumonia, pus-filled pockets inside the body and/or blood infections. For this reason, the illness can be mistaken for other diseases, such as tuberculosis.
Other symptoms include localized pain or swelling, chest pain, headache, weight loss, abdominal pain, joint pain, seizures or disorientation.
Between 10% to 50% of people who develop the disease die, with certain conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease, chronic lung disease and alcoholism increasing people’s risks.
