CDC alert goes out to watch for rare bacterial disease in Alabama

As if COVID and Monkey pox weren’t enough. Now, a germ that causes a potentially deadly disease has been found along the Gulf Coast. The disease is called melioidosis. It was thought to be confined to tropical climates. The bacteria that causes the disease was found at the property of a Mississippi man who cause the ailment. Health officials tell the Associated Press it is likely occurring in other areas of the Gulf Coast like Alabama. The CDC has sent an alert to physicians to be on the lookout for signs and symptoms of melioidosis. The agency reported limited outbreak last year in Minnesota resulted in two fatalities and two more illnesses. The illness includes a wide range of symptoms like fever, joint pain and headaches. It’s treatable with antibiotics if caught early. But can lead to pneumonia, blood infections, abscesses, and even death.