Lawsuits have been filed by people who were diagnosed with Melioidosis or Whitmore’s Disease after being infected with the bacteria B. pseudomallei.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Melioidosis & Whitmore’s Disease induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with melioidosis or Whitmore’s disease, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Disease Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
What is Melioidosis?
Melioidosis, also called Whitmore’s disease, is a serious and potentially deadly infection with the bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei (B. pseudomallei).
The infection is rare in the U.S., hard to diagnose, and resistant to many antibiotics. It can kill within 48 hours, or take months to cause symptoms. It can also re-activate decades later, which is why it is was called the “Vietnamese time bomb,” for the way it re-activated in Vietnam War veterans up to 26 years after the war.
What is the Problem?
Melioidosis is rare in the U.S., hard to diagnose, and it can be fatal. In 2021, a deadly outbreak of melioidosis was linked to an aromatherapy spray from Walmart.
Four cases of melioidosis were reported in Kansas, Minnesota, Texas and Georgia, including a previously healthy 5-year-old child from Georgia who died within a week and a 4-year-old girl from Texas who suffered brain damage.
More cases may have never been reported because melioidosis is hard to diagnose, easily mistaken for tuberculosis or other diseases, and it does not always cause symptoms.
Walmart Aromatherapy Spray Tests Positive for “Rare and Dangerous Bacteria”
The aromatherapy spray from Walmart that caused the outbreak of melioidosis — called “Better Homes & Gardens Essential Oil Infused Aromatherapy Room Spray with Gemstones” — was made in India, where melioidosis is widespread.
The aromatherapy spray tested positive for B. pseudomallei, that bacteria that causes melioidosis. Walmart recalled about 3,900 bottles of the aromatherapy spray.
Walmart also warned about a “rare and dangerous bacteria” that was linked to “four cases of melioidosis in the U.S., including two deaths. Cases were reported in Kansas, Minnesota, Texas and Georgia, including a child fatality.”
Where Do People Get Melioidosis?
Melioidosis is a widespread disease in tropical climates, especially during the rainy season in India, Southeast Asia, and Northern Australia. In 2022, the bacteria that causes melioidosis (B. pseudomallei) was also found in the Gulf Coast of Mississippi.
Why Is Melioidosis Also Called Whitmore’s Disease?
Another name for melioidosis is Whitmore’s disease, in honor of Dr. Alfred Whitmore (1876-1946), a British surgeon in India who first described melioidosis in 1912. The infection was renamed melioidosis in 1925 by the researchers who identified B. pseudomallei as the bacteria responsible for causing the disease.
How Do People Get Melioidosis?
People get melioidosis through air, dirt, or water that is contaminated with the bacteria B. pseudomallei. Most infections occur from breathing this bacteria in the air, drinking contaminated water, eating contaminated food, or getting the bacteria into a scrape on your skin.
How Does Melioidosis Spread?
It is very rare for melioidosis to spread from person-to-person. The most common way that people become infected is from:
- Breathing air that contains bacteria-contaminated dust or water droplets
- Drinking contaminated water
- Swallowing soil-contaminated food
- Touching contaminated soil, especially through skin abrasions
- Contact with animals that have melioidosis
How Long Does it Take for Symptoms to Appear?
It usually takes 2 to 4 weeks for the symptoms of melioidosis to appear after a person is infected with the bacteria, but the time-frame varies. Some symptoms occur within hours, while others take years to develop. Some people with melioidosis never show any symptoms.
Symptoms of Melioidosis Can Resemble Other Diseases
The symptoms of melioidosis vary widely depending on what part of the body is infected. The symptoms may look like tuberculosis, fungal infections, rheumatic diseases, and other infections that are more common. The correct diagnosis is often delayed because melioidosis can affect almost any organ and it can mimic many other diseases. The longer it takes for a proper diagnosis, the higher the risk of severe complications or death.
Signs & Symptoms of Melioidosis
Here are examples of symptoms depending on parts of the body:
- Lung infection: Pulmonary infections are the most common way for melioidosis to occur. The symptoms may look like tuberculosis or other lung diseases, like pneumonia or bronchitis. People may have a cough, chest pain during breathing, pus or blood in lung tissues, high fever, headache, soreness, or weight loss.
- Bloodstream infection: Also known as septicemia or septic shock, this fast-moving complication can rapidly cause death when the bacteria spreads to the bloodstream. The symptoms may include fever, headache, sore throat, breathing problems, abdominal pain, diarrhea, joint pain, soreness, and more.
- Local infection: Melioidosis can infect the skin or organs just under the skin. The symptoms may include skin sores with pain or swelling in one area. This type of infection can sometimes be mistaken for flesh-eating bacteria or mumps.
- Disseminated infection: This is an infection in more than one organ or part of the body. The patient may have infected sores on their liver, lungs, spleen, joints, bones, lymph nodes, brain, or other organs. The symptoms may include a fever, weight loss, stomach or chest pain, muscle or joint pain, headache, seizures, and more.
Treatment for Melioidosis
Treatment for melioidosis generally begins with intravenous antimicrobial therapy for a minimum of 2 weeks, or up to 8 weeks depending on extent of infection, followed by 3 to 6 months of oral antimicrobial therapy.
Do I have a Melioidosis & Whitmore’s Disease Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Melioidosis & Whitmore’s Disease induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with melioidosis or Whitmore’s disease, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Disease Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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