Experts have warned against a disease lurking in backyards across America after a series of deaths in Australia.
Melioidosis is a serious bacterial lung infection that kills up to half of people it infects worldwide.
The illness, which affects about a dozen Americans per year, is caused by the bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei, which lives in tropical soils and water.
Experts have suggested that wet weather like hurricanes and heavy rain, which have become increasingly common in the US, can raise the risk of the bacteria rising to the top of soil in gardens and backyards.
It comes after five people in Australia’s Northern Territory died from the illness, prompting health officials there to issue an alert to the public.
While mostly found in tropical climates like Southeast Asia and Australia, it can spread to certain coastal areas of the US. These include Mississippi‘s gulf coast, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
The bacteria usually doesn’t cause symptoms, but in severe cases, it can trigger potentially deadly pneumonia and sepsis, the body’s overreaction to an infection that causes the immune system to attack healthy organs.
Last year, CDC officials warned Burkholderia pseudomallei is now endemic to the gulf coast, which includes Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.
Officials warned against the infection melioidosis, which spreads from bacteria lurking in gardens and has killed five Australians in the past 12 months (stock image)
The above map shows countries where the bacteria has been detected and the states in the US where the CDC says it is endemic
Professor Bart Currie, an expert in tropical and emerging infectious diseases at the Menzies School of Health Research in Australia, told Yahoo News melioidosis is going to become an even more ‘substantial issue in the coming years’ due to climate change resulting in more hurricanes and monsoons.
Humans can become infected with the bacteria via contact with contaminated soil and muddy water, particularly if they have an open wound.
In rare cases, it can also be transmitted between humans — although this has only been reported via sexual contact and during pregnancy.
Burkholderia pseudomallei was first detected in the US in 2022 in soil and water samples along the Mississippi gulf coast.
Up until that point, US cases of melioidosis had been tied to people bringing it back from areas like Australia.
Symptoms include fever, headache, trouble breathing, stomach or chest pain, muscle pain, confusion, and seizures, according to the CDC.
Signs typically develop within one to four weeks after being exposed to the bacteria, though some people don’t get sick until months or years after exposure.
Though melioidosis usually shows up as a lung infection, it can spread to other organs like the liver, spleen, prostate, lymph nodes, and brain.
In severe cases, it can lead to life-threatening sepsis.
Melioidosis is usually treated with long-term antibiotics, including IV antibiotics for at least two weeks (the intensive phase) and oral drugs for three to six months (the eradication phase).
To prevent exposure to Burkholderia pseudomallei, the CDC recommends avoiding soil or water if you have open founds and wear gloves and boots when working in gardens.
