The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating two deaths from a rare bacterial disease only found in tropical climates.
The CDC announced a new fatal case of melioidosis, also known as Whitmore’s disease, that occurred in Georgia, joining three other cases in three different states — Texas, Kansas and Minnesota — which all appear to closely match through genome sequencing.
Although there seems to be a common source for the cases, none of the infected individuals had traveled internationally, which is odd, however, as the strains seem to be linked to those found in South Asia.
“Currently, CDC believes the most likely cause is an imported product (such as a food or drink, personal care or cleaning products or medicine) or an ingredient in one of those types of products,” the agency’s statement reads.
“The bacteria normally lives in moist soil and water. However, in rare cases, it has also been found to contaminate wet or moist products in the areas where the bacteria are common,” they added.
Two of the four cases have proved fatal, while the other two patients survived.
One of the patients was a 4-year-old girl from Texas who was on a ventilator for weeks and has brain damage from the disease, The Dallas Morning News reported.
The CDC is warning doctors to keep an eye out for the disease even in patients with no travel history and among children. Common symptoms include cough, chest pain, high fever, headache or unexplained weight loss.
The investigation remains difficult as it takes two to three weeks to get sick from the bacteria, making it harder for patients to retrace their steps.