With the recent spike in Covid-19 cases, hospitals in texas are overwhelmed with patients and running out of ICU beds.
If this wasn’t enough, CDC has now issued a warning about a deadly disease known as Melioidosis or Whitmore’s Disease.
This disease is caused by the “Burkholderia pseudomallei bacterium” and is generally found in Georgia, Kansas, Minnesota, and Texas.
The first case of this deadly disease was reported in March 2021 in Kansas state where the patient already died at the time of hospitalization.
After this, 2nd and 3rd cases were reported from Texas and Minnesota in the month of May 2021. Even though both these victims were discharged from the hospital after putting up a hard fight against the disease, the 4th later identified in Georgia last month died because of the same deadly disease.
How Can You Contract Melioidosis Disease?
After the death of 2 patients, the health departments of the 3 US States Texas, Minnesota & Georgia are working hard to find the root cause of the spread of this disease.
So, in the meanwhile, it’s important for you to know the different conditions in which you can get contracted with this disease:
You can contract Melioidosis by:
- The inhalation of contaminated dust or water droplets.
- Coming in close contact with polluted soil or water
- Ingestion of dirty water
- Ingestion of soil-infected food,
- Coming in contact with contaminated soil.
Symptoms of Melioidosis Disease?
When you start showing the following symptoms, you would right away head over to the nearby hospital for a thorough check-up:
- Fever,
- Headache,
- Respiratory distress
- Abdominal discomfort
- Joint pain
- Ulcers (On or below the skin)
Generally, you can start showing these symptoms after 2-4 weeks of getting infected by this disease.
Who Can Get the Melioidosis Disease?
Anyone who is immunocompromised because of AIDS or cancer, Not just that, if you’re suffering from Diabetes, and chronic renal disease, or even have an open skin wound, you can easily get contracted with Whitmore’s Disease. So, it’s best if you can avoid contact with soil and contaminated water.
Here are some other risk factors that can cause Melioidosis:
- Chronic lung disease.
- Liver Disease
- Kava consumption,
- Alcohol abuse,
- Thalassemia,
- Chronic lung disease
Even if you’re a healthy individual, CDC has not ruled out whether you can get the Melioidosis disease or not. So, always stay on the safer side & prevent yourself from getting the disease.
Typically found in different regions of Asia & Australia, Melioidosis has suddenly infected the victims who haven’t gone abroad in ages. So, it’s important for CDC to find the real cause behind the recent cases & death caused by the Melioidosis disease.
