The following are five things to know about the bacteria, melioidosis and the new study.
1. Melioidosis, also know as Whitmore’s disease, can infect humans who come in direct contact with a contaminated source, such as water or soil, according to the CDC. The disease has a death rate of up to 70 percent, according to an NPR report, and it is difficult to diagnose.
2. Melioidosis is well-known in certain regions, like Southeast Asia and Australia. However, the new study posits that the disease has a much wider spread and is a bigger burden than previously thought. The study’s estimates led researchers to believe that “melioidosis is severely underreported in the 45 countries in which it is known to be endemic and that melioidosis is probably endemic in a further 34 countries that have never reported the disease,” mostly in the tropics.
3. The disease is likely underreported because it is so difficult to identify, as its symptoms are similar to multiple bacterial infections. “It is important to note that melioidosis has a wide range of signs and symptoms that can be mistaken for other diseases,” the CDC says. Other issues, such as underdeveloped microbiological facilities and lack of expertise, contribute to underreporting of melioidosis, according to the study.
4. B. pseudomallei occurs naturally in the soil and water and can persist in the environment for several years, according to the study. Additionally, it “is intrinsically resistant to a wide range of antimicrobials,” the study authors wrote.
5. Another concern surrounding B. pseudomallei is bioterrorism, according to NPR. “The organism is much more dangerous when inhaled… So there are real concerns about bioterrorism use by an aerosol use,” Donald Wood, PhD, a microbiologist from the University of Calgary, told NPR. The U.S. government is currently funding research into B. pseudomallei.
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US becoming more susceptible to tropical diseases: 5 things to know
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