The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced a dangerous discovery during sampling of water and soil in the Gulf Coast region of Mississippi.
According to a statement issued by the agency, the sampling revealed the presence of a bacteria called Burkholderia pseudomallei that causes a rare and dangerous disease known as melioidosis.
“Melioidosis has a wide range of nonspecific symptoms like fever, joint pain, and headaches and can cause conditions that include pneumonia, abscess formation, or blood infections,” the CDC warns. “Worldwide, melioidosis is fatal in 10 – 50 percent of those infected.”
This is apparently the first time that Burkholderia pseudomallei has been found in the United States, with the CDC suggesting that for the general population of the country, the risk of the disease caused by the bacteria “continues to be very low.”
Nevertheless, the agency advised people who live in the Gulf Coast of Mississippi to avoid contact with soil and muddy water, protect open wounds with waterproof dressing, wear waterproof boots while doing gardening or agricultural work, and to use gloves to protect themselves when working with soil directly.