Has a clue emerged to possible source of rare foreign bacteria that sickened Texas girl, others?
Remember the 4-year-old Texas girl who was sickened with a mysterious, sometimes deadly, foreign bacteria not supposed to be in the United States?
A clue to the possible source of what might have infected Lylah Baker and three others with the rare bacteria has emerged in a new report by investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health departments, which links a 2019 case of Burkholderia pseudomallei infection in Maryland to an item in the victim's home:
Her freshwater aquarium.
While the genetic fingerprinting of the bacteria in the Maryland case doesn't match that of the unsolved 2021 U.S. outbreak, health officials said in their report, they have launched further reviews of the pet store where she purchased the fish and its vendors.
Also worth noting? Lylah had a pet fish that died in February. Her aunt told USA TODAY over the summer that investigators were interested in testing the aquarium where Lylah's Betta fish had lived.
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The new report also urges doctors to consider melioidosis, the disease caused by the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, when treating patients with similar symptoms and known exposure to aquariums. And it recommends that public health officials ask about fish and aquariums when investigating cases of Burkholderia pseudomallei.
Tracking an elusive bacteria
Lylah and three others – all in different states and none with any apparent connection – fell ill this year with melioidosis, the disease caused by the rare bacterium. One of the difficulties in investigating these cases is that symptoms might not develop for weeks, months or even years after exposure to Burkholderia pseudomallei.
The only places in the United States where Burkholderia pseudomallei occurs naturally are Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It is supposed to be found primarily in Southeast Asia and northern Australia.
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Two of the four patients had no known risk factors for melioidosis. The CDC said in August that two of the patients died, without specifying which cases were fatal. None had traveled to areas where Burkholderia pseudomallei lives and grows.
The latest report from health officials raises concerns about the potential for the disease to spread in the USA due to freshwater aquariums. Burkholderia pseudomallei infects humans and animals through direct contact with contaminated soil and water. That’s where it lives and grows.
Betta fish like the one Lylah had are a type of tropical freshwater fish native to Southeast Asia.
Have an aquarium? Health officials recommend "thorough handwashing with soap and water before and after handling or cleaning aquariums and feeding fish, wearing gloves to cover any cuts or wounds in the hand while handling fish or aquariums or allowing wounds to fully heal first."
In all cases, CDC and state health officials launched investigations, looking into medical histories, foods, environment, travel, household products, hobbies and more, trying to find the source of the bacteria.
The fatality rate for melioidosis ranges from 10% to 50%.
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Close attention to aquariums
The CDC report describes the unusual 2019 infection of a 56-year-old Maryland woman who had not traveled internationally. An investigation of the woman's home confirmed that Burkholderia pseudomallei was present in her fish tank.
“With freshwater aquariums as a newly recognized source of possible transmission of B. pseudomallei to humans, further investigations are underway to determine the extent of ... contamination at the pet store retailer where the patient purchased the pet fish," the new report says.
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To prevent or reduce any possible exposure, the health officials advise "thorough handwashing with soap and water before and after handling or cleaning aquariums and feeding fish, wearing gloves to cover any cuts or wounds in the hand while handling fish or aquariums or allowing wounds to fully heal first." The report also cautions against letting kids clean the tanks.
In response to the Maryland case, health officials are also looking at “vendors that imported and supplied freshwater ornamental fish, aquatic plants, and associated aquarium water to this retail location," given that these vendors may distribute to pet retailers across the USA.
"Identifying possible source(s) of introduction with B. pseudomallei in the supply chain is essential to public health," the report says. "The United States is the largest importer of ornamental fish, most of which are freshwater and originate in Southeast Asia, where B. pseudomallei is widespread in the environment."
And an estimated 11.5 million American households have pet fish.
Jason Lalljee is a graduate of the University of Chicago and an intern for USA TODAY Opinion.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: CDC finds a possible link to rare bacteria that sickened Texas girl
