Weird. How did that happen?
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Wednesday that a deadly bacterium with a 50% fatality rate worldwide had entered the U.S. Gulf Coast, prompting an endemic declaration by the government agency.
According to reports, the CDC confirmed several cases of infection from the bacteria called Burkholderia pseudomallei, which experts say could cause lethal melioidosis if not treated.
Speaking to the HealthDay News, Julia Petras, an epidemic intelligence service officer with CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, said that the deadly bacteria is “an environmental organism that lives naturally in the soil, and typically freshwater in certain areas around the world. Mostly in subtropical and tropical climates.”
Currently, there are about 160,000 cases reported annually, with 80,000 deaths.
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The CDC official said that once the bacteria is inside the body, it attacks critical organs like the lungs, brain, and others with an abscess. According to Petras, patients will have pneumonia with sepsis, resulting in higher mortality and deadlier outcomes.
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While officials are unclear how Burkholderia pseudomallei got to the Gulf Coast, experts note that it thrives in warm, damp areas and was found first in Australia and Thailand.