US health officials announced Wednesday that soil and water samples taken from Mississippi contain bacteria that cause a rare but serious disease called chloasma.
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Thus, the authorities alerted the country’s doctors to be vigilant in the face of possible symptoms of this disease in patients.
Two people living in the southern United States, in the Gulf of Mexico region, contracted the disease separately in 2020 and 2022, prompting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to take these swabs in and near their homes.
Three soil and pond samples tested positive for Burkholderia pseudomallei.
Despite everything, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers the risk for the general population still “very low.” They are currently investigating to determine how widespread the bacteria are in the environment.
Symptoms of chlamydia can be broad, such as fever, joint pain, or headache. It can cause pneumonia, abscess formation, or infection. Worldwide, shingles is fatal in 10-50% of cases.
It is recommended for more fragile people living in Mississippi to avoid contact with muddy water, to protect their wounds, or to wear waterproof shoes and gloves while gardening.
About 12 cases of melioidosis are diagnosed each year in the United States, mostly in people who have traveled to countries where this bacteria is endemic, especially in the tropics. Other cases have also occurred due to contamination of products from these countries.
