- The CDC issued a warning Wednesday that a deadly bacteria has been found in the Gulf Coast region of Mississippi near the homes of two people who were hospitalized.
- That marks the first time the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei has been detected in water and soil samples in the U.S.
- “This bacterium causes a rare and serious disease called melioidosis,” the CDC said.
- Melioidosis, also known as Whitmore’s disease, is “highly endemic” in places such as Thailand and northern Australia.
“Melioidosis is an opportunistic infection, with disease developing after only one of every 4,600 exposures,” according to a 2019 study that also noted the disease killed nearly an estimated 90,000 people globally every year (via Axios).
