ABOVE: Colonies of Burkholderia pseudomallei growing on a chocolate agar plate
DR. TODD PARKER
Update (October 22): The CDC has traced the source of the bacteria to a room spray sold by Walmart. The agency requests that anyone who purchased the spray discontinue use immediately and take steps to sterilize anything the spray may have come in contact with.
After four mysterious cases of a potentially fatal bacterial infection since March of this year, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging clinicians, medical providers, and public health laboratories to be on the lookout for the disease, known as melioidosis. According to the CDC, melioidosis is easily mistaken for other conditions because symptoms vary and the bacterial species responsible, Burkholderia pseudomallei, isn’t considered endemic to the United States.
As transmission nearly always occurs from contact with contaminated materials such as soil, water, food and drink, or personal care products—person-to-person ...
