Melioidosis, also known as Whitmore’s disease, is most common in tropical areas where Burkholderia pseudomallei is commonly found, such as Australia and southeast Asia. There are several types of melioidosis infection, including pulmonary, bloodstream and disseminated. IT can cause fever, joint pain, chest pain, headache and seizures, according to the CDC. According to the researchers, death rate can be as high as 50 percent in some areas.
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Previously, experts did not understand how the bacteria — which lives in the soil — traversed the human body, or how quickly it could move.
The team from Bond University and Griffith University studied how the bacteria traveled in mice and found Burkholderia pseudomallei goes through nerves in the nasal cavity before moving to the brain stem and then the spinal cord.
Now that the pathway is known, scientists could be able to find a way to stimulate other cells to remove the bacteria.
Researchers posit this discovery could have implications for other bacteria research as well.
“What excites me most is the idea that other bacteria can also use this route,” said James St. John, PhD, a professor at Griffith University. “Bacteria have been implicated as a major causative agent of some types of back pain. We now need to work out whether the bacteria that cause back pain also can enter the brainstem and spinal cord via the trigeminal nerve.”
More articles on bacteria:
Triclosan or chlorhexidine: Which better prevents bacteria recolonization?
It may be safe for physicians to prescribe fewer antibiotics, researchers say
FDA approves test to detect genetic markers for resistant bacteria
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