Deadly Tropical Disease Found in the United States for the First Time
Deadly Tropical Disease Found in the United States for the First Time A tropical disease that the World Health Organization considers one of the biggest threats to public health has been discovered in the United States for the first time, according to government researchers and an independent lab in New York City. The bacterium, called Burkholderia pseudomallei, can cause an infection called melioidosis that kills as many as 60 percent of people who become sick with it, though most people survive if they are diagnosed early enough and treated with antibiotics. A recent outbreak in Northern Australia has been linked to rat infestations, which are on the rise due to warmer temperatures and increased rainfall, scientists say. Fatal Infection: Commonly Called ‘Gulf War Illness’ A new study has found that a tropical disease called melioidosis, which is fatal in up to 40 percent of cases, has been present in the United States for the first time. The bacteria that causes the disease, Bur...