Deadly bacteria that kill up to 50% of patients are now endemic to the US Gulf Coast, CDC expert says

A deadly bacterium that kills up to 50 percent of the people it infects has now been classified as endemic to the US Gulf Coast.

dr Julia Petras, an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), who issued the alert, said Burkholderia pseudomallei is now likely lurking in the soil and standing water along the 1,600-mile stretch from Texas to Florida.

People infected with the bacteria develop melioidosis, a serious condition that can cause pneumonia and sepsis and be fatal.

Doctors are now on the alert for the disease, which may initially be misdiagnosed as another infection.

The CDC statement comes less than a year after it was first discovered in the United States in coastal Mississippi soil.

The map above shows countries where the bacterium has been detected and the states in the US where it is now endemic, according to the CDC

People infected with the bacteria can contract the disease melioidosis, which can cause pneumonia and sepsis. The CDC states it is fatal in 10 to 50 percent of cases (stock image)

dr Petras said: “It is estimated that there are 160,000 cases and 80,000 deaths annually worldwide.”

“It’s one of those diseases that’s also called the big copycat because it can look so different.”

“It’s underreported, underdiagnosed, and underdiagnosed – we often like to say it’s the neglected tropical disease.”

The bacterium – also known as B. psuedomallei – is native to tropical areas in Southeast Asia and northern Australia.

But the CDC is now warning that it has been detected in the Gulf states: Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

In these areas, the agency warns it could be lurking in topsoil or in muddy fresh or brackish water.

People can become infected if they come into contact with water or soil – including through open wounds – or if they swallow them.

It’s unclear how the pathogen got into the United States, although it may have been brought in by infected travelers.

The deadly bacterium has been present in Puerto Rico since 1982, according to a study supported by the University of Oxford.

It is estimated that around 12 Americans contract the bacteria each year, although this is usually due to travel abroad.

This is believed to be a significant underestimate, as many cases are misdiagnosed as other conditions.

In 2021, four cases – including two deaths – were recorded in the US, with the cases later being linked to a contaminated aromatherapy spray imported from India.

Two more were discovered in unrelated people living close together in Mississippi in 2020 and 2022.

This prompted the CDC to take soil and water samples in and around patients’ homes, detecting the presence of the B. pseudomallei bacterium. Both patients recovered from the infection.

dr Petras, an Epidemic Intelligence worker, said: “It is an environmental organism that lives naturally in the soil and typically freshwater in certain areas of the world – mainly in subtropical and tropical climates.”

“Many patients have pneumonia with sepsis and/or sepsis associated with higher mortality and poorer outcomes.”

She added, “We have antibiotics that work.”

“I’m talking intravenous antibiotics for at least two weeks, followed by three to six months of oral antibiotics.”

“It’s an extensive treatment, but if you complete the entire course and get the diagnosis early, which is really important, your outcome will probably be quite good.”

People can contract the bacteria through contact with contaminated soil and muddy water, especially if they have an open wound.

In rare cases, it can also be transmitted between people – although this has only been reported through sexual contact and during pregnancy.

In most cases, the bacteria do not cause any symptoms because the immune system can fight them.

However, when an infection begins, patients may experience symptoms such as joint pain, fever, and headaches in the early stages.

This can then lead to melioidosis, with the CDC warning that between 10 and 50 percent of cases are fatal.

People living on the Gulf Coast who suffer from diseases such as diabetes, kidney disease and chronic lung disease are particularly at risk.