Bacteria that causes rare tropical disease found in US soil
NEW YORK (AP) — A germ that causes a rare and sometimes deadly disease — long thought to be confined to tropical climates — has been found in soil and water in the continental United States, U.S. health officials said Wednesday.
The bacteria was found on the property of a Mississippi man who had come down with the disease, melioidosis. Officials don't know how long it had been there, but they say it likely is occurring in other areas along the Gulf Coast.
U.S. physicians should consider melioidosis even in patients who haven't traveled to other countries, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a health alert.
“Once it's in the soil, it can be a health threat for people in the area,” said the CDC's Julia Petras, who oversaw the investigation.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/bacteria-causes-rare-tropical-disease-194552877.html