“The fourth U.S. case of the rare and potentially fatal bacterial disease melioidosis, typically found in the tropics, has been confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Genome testing shows that the strain in the latest case in Georgia is linked to the strains of Burkholderia pseudomallei bacteria that caused the three previous infections in Kansas, Texas, and Minnesota, suggesting a common source.
“Two of the four patients, including the one in Georgia, have died, the agency said in a statement Monday.
“The cases are most closely related to strains found in Asia, particularly South Asia.
“However, none of the patients — which included adults and children — had traveled internationally, the CDC said. The agency has tested more than 100 samples of products, soil, and water in and around the patients’ homes, but none were positive for B. pseudomallei.”
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