Rare tropical disease bacteria found in US

The illness can start with a wide range of symptoms like fever, joint pain and headaches which is treatable with the right antibiotics if it’s caught early, but it can lead to pneumonia, blood infections and even death if not properly treated.

The bacteria can cause melioidosis, a rare and sometimes deadly disease long thought to be confined to tropical climates. (AP)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health advisory to clinicians after discovering the bacteria behind a rare but serious disease for the first time in the continental United States.

Burkholderia pseudomallei (B. pseudomallei) was detected in soil and puddle water samples in the Gulf Coast region of southern Mississippi during an investigation of two human melioidosis cases.

US 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 on Wednesday.

The illness can start with a wide range of symptoms like fever, joint pain and headaches. It's treatable with the right antibiotics if it’s caught early, but it can lead to pneumonia, blood infections and even death if not properly treated.

About 12 cases are reported annually in the US. The vast majority have been in people who traveled to places where the bacteria is endemic, including certain regions of Australia, Thailand, and Central and South America.

READ MORE: Scientists discover 'Mount Everest' of bacteria in Caribbean swamps

Effective in weakened immune systems

People can get the illness through direct contact with contaminated soil and water, especially if they have a cut on their hand or foot. It is also possible to inhale the bacteria.

The bacteria may not bother healthy people. But it can be dangerous to those with diabetes, chronic kidney or lung disease and weakened immune systems.

Last year, four people came down with the disease even though none had traveled internationally. Officials blamed their illnesses on a contaminated aromatherapy spray imported from India.

The new findings explain two Mississippi cases in men who hadn't traveled internationally, officials said. One got melioidosis in 2020 and the other, who lives about 10 miles away, got it this year. Both have recovered.

Health officials didn't say exactly where in Mississippi the men live, but investigators took 109 soil and water samples from the area. The bacteria was found in three spots — two in soil and one in a puddle — on the property of the man who was sickened two years ago.

Finding the bacteria in US soil is significant, but not surprising. Investigators have long believed that local soil contamination was behind infections in Texas's Atascosa County in 2004 and 2018, CDC officials said.

READ MORE: Antibiotics kill off gut bacteria vital for athletic performance

Source: TRTWorld and agencies

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/rare-tropical-disease-bacteria-found-in-us/?feed_id=3174&_unique_id=62e20bdd9545c

Patel chairs session over monkeypox disease after WHO alert

ISLAMABAD: The government has increased surveillance for the monkeypox disease after WHO declared it a public health emergency of international concern, a spokesperson of the Ministry of National Health has stated.

A meeting, chaired by Federal Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel, was attended by the special secretary health, D.G. Health, and representatives of the interior ministry and FIA.

Pakistan government has decided to increase surveillance for the monkeypox disease after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared it a public health emergency of international concern. No case of monkeypox had been diagnosed in Pakistan yet, health officials said.

Health Minister Patel said that an effective surveillance regime has been working for monkeypox disease. “All hospitals have been instructed to take necessary measures for the disease,” he said.

Globally, there have so far been 16,016 monkeypox cases of which 3,269 were reported in the last week, according to WHO data.

“All the national and provincial health authorities have been advised to remain on high alert for any suspected case of monkeypox as the government has started taking effective measures to prevent the disease,” Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel said.

He said that international health regulations related to monkeypox will be fully implemented in the country. “The government would continue its work as per the guidelines of WHO”, he said.

The health ministry has issued instructions to all stakeholders, especially border health services, to strictly monitor the suspected cases at all points of entry in the country and ensure an effective monitoring mechanism. The screening of all incoming passengers will be ensured particularly passengers coming from African countries, he added.

The health minister has also directed the pandemic response body National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) to ensure regular monitoring of the monkeypox situation in the country along with COVID-19 infections.

The spokesperson of the Ministry of National Health Services said the situation is being closely monitored by the health authorities.

Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. This virus is part of the same family of viruses that causes smallpox. Monkeypox can spread in three ways, from person to person, from animals to humans, and through direct contact with contaminated objects. In most cases, the symptoms of monkeypox go away on their own but in some people, it may lead to medical complications and even death.

In most cases, Monkeypox starts with a fever and often flu-like symptoms followed by a rash that can spread to many areas of the body. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches and backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion.

Comments

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/patel-chairs-session-over-monkeypox-disease-after-who-alert/?feed_id=2718&_unique_id=62e0dd81d812a