Deadly Tropical Bacteria Found in Continental U.S. Soil for the First Time
Colonies of Burkholderia pseudomallei in an agar plate.Image: Shutterstock (Shutterstock)A bacteria endemic to tropical areas that causes a life-threatening infection has just been detected within the soil and waters of the continental U.S. for the first time. On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that they recently isolated Burkholderia pseudomallei bacteria in southern Mississippi. At least two local cases of the serious infection it causes, known as melioidosis, have been traced back to…