The alarm is sounding in the USA: 2 people have died from a disease that occurs only in the tropics

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is sounding the alarm over a rare disease previously seen only in tropical climates, especially in South Asia and northern Australia. The edition told in more detail New York Post.

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Two people are dead and two have recovered after contracting melioidosis, a disease that has never before been detected in the contiguous United States. Melioidosis has now been found in Georgia, Kansas, Texas and Minnesota. The only other known cases of melioidosis in the United States were in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico in the Caribbean.

None of the four patients traveled outside the country before falling ill between March and July of this year.

According to the statement, the CDC "believes that the most likely cause is an imported product (such as food or drink, personal care products, cleaning products or medicine) or an ingredient in one of these types of products."

Researchers took more than 100 samples of soil, water, and common foods used in and around each patient's home to find a link between the four cases, but still have not found a common source. However, sequencing of the bacterial genome has shown that the four cases are likely related in some way.

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About a dozen cases of melioidosis are reported in Americans every year, almost all of which are related to travel. This is the first time the disease has originated within the United States.

Caused by the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, melioidosis can develop several weeks after exposure to the pathogen. Symptoms include cough and shortness of breath, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, intermittent fever, and body rashes.

The CDC warned that risk factors for the development of the disease include diabetes, liver or kidney disease, chronic lung disease, cancer, or another condition that weakens the immune system.

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One known case of melioidosis—involving a 4-year-old girl—was recently in Texas. Preschooler Lila Baker had no known risk factors for the disease when she became ill in May. Lyla spent a month in the intensive care unit at Children's Medical Center in Dallas, requiring a ventilator and ultimately suffering brain damage.

“She was a healthy, typical little girl about to enter a preschool program in the fall—no prior health problems,” said Ashley Cannon, the child's aunt. “So it was definitely a big surprise for everyone.”

The CDC is urging physicians to be aware of the symptoms of melioidosis regardless of where their patients are located.

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