from fish Maryland woman contracts rare melioidosis bacteria from fish tank: report October 12, 2021 A Maryland woman is believed to be the first in the world to contract an extremely rare life-threatening bacterial disease from her own freshwater aquarium filled with imported tropical fish, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The 56-year-old woman was hospitalized back in 2019 after she became infected with melioidosis – a foreign bacteria that is very rarely found in the US, according to a new report published this month in the CDC’s Emerging Infectious Diseases journal.

cdc CDC page on Melioidosis Melioidosis, also called Whitmore’s disease, is an infectious disease that can infect humans or animals. The disease is caused by the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei. It is predominately a disease of tropical climates, especially in Southeast Asia and northern Australia where it is widespread. The bacteria causing melioidosis are found in contaminated water and soil. It is spread to humans and animals through direct contact with the contaminated source.