The CDC has just given out a warning that a new disease only previously found in tropical climates has now made it’s way into the United States; it’s now already left two people dead. The CDC officially announced that two Americans have died after they were infected with a disease known as melioidosis.
As of right now, Texas, Georgia, Kansas and Minnesota have all reported cases of melioidosis, which is also known as Whitmore disease. Before making its way to the United States, melioidosis had been found in South Asia and Australia.
As of right now, the CDC is still investigating the people who have been infected; that is because they haven’t traveled outside of the country in the last year. This leads the CDC to believe that they were infected by the disease by imports.
4th person in US mysteriously stricken with deadly #bacteria from South Asia
Cases have been identified in #Kansas, #Texas, #Minnesota, and #Georgia
Burkholderia pseudomallei is a #GramNegative aerobic bacteria, and it's the causative agent of #melioidosis https://t.co/OrzGLxW2az pic.twitter.com/ljZtWSZKzq— Benjamin Carr, Ph.D. 👨🏻💻🧬🌊🐕📷 (@BenjaminHCCarr) August 10, 2021
Details About Melioidosis
Melioidosis is a bacteria infection that causes symptoms such as a fever, pneumonia, headache, chest pain, rashes, coughing and trouble breathing. People are usually infected by melioidosis by dust particles in the air or in their drinking supply water. According to a report from Web MD, if the disease is not treated, then it could be fatal.
Globally, the disease kills over 90,000 people each year and most cases are seen in Hong Kong, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia and other countries in South Asia.
Those who are at most at risk at dying are those who have diabetes, or liver, spleen, and prostrated problems; these people are also most at risk of having severe cases of the disease.
Not the Only Disease the CDC Has Warned People About Besides COVID-19
The CDC last month released a report of a man from Texas being infected with a rare disease called monkeypox. Monkeypox is a disease that is very similar of small pox.
It got it’s name after the disease was found in laboratory monkeys in 1958, but then made its way to humans. The man from Texas has made a complete recovery and the CDC located over 200 people who came in contact with the man infected with monkeypox.
As it turns out, all of these people were found to be symptom free. So as of right now, another COVID-19 epidemic will not be coming from monkeypox anytime soon.
In the last one month – cholera, monkeypox, lassa fever outbreaks in addition to COVID. We need to be careful, please.
— Jola (@Jollz) August 4, 2021
Symptoms of monkeypox includes a rash that starts on a person’s hands and face which is followed by muscles aches, tiredness, and a fever. Monkeypox has not seen a major outbreak since 2017 -2019 when the nation of Nigeria expereinced a major outbreak.
In 2003, the United States experienced a small outbreak when a rodent dealer in Texas unknowingly purchased rodents infected with monkeypox and sent them out to states in the Midwest; this led to over 40 people being infected, but no deaths were reported.
