Lurking in the lush gardens of northern Australia is an invisible but deadly bacterial threat that has claimed five lives in the past 12 months. Melioidosis, a disease caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, a bacteria that proliferates in soil and tropical waters, has seen an increase in cases in the Northern Territory, where 87 people contracted the infection last year, six of whom died. As the rainy season progresses in the region, experts anticipate that the number of cases could climb again this summer, in a phenomenon that appears to be closely related to changes in the climate.
Bart Currie, professor of medicine at the Menzies School of Health Research and leader of the tropical infectious diseases team, warns that melioidosis could represent a growing public health problem in Australia. Although the bacteria have so far been limited to certain areas, intense weather patterns, such as monsoon storms and tropical cyclones, could facilitate their spread to new areas. Experts point out that the bacteria could be “on the move,” a latent risk of spread due to changing rain and heat conditions.
Burkholderia pseudomallei is a persistent bacteria that is difficult to identify, which is why it is called “the great imitator” because its symptoms are nonspecific and can be confused with other diseases. Most infections occur when people with cuts on their skin come into contact with contaminated soil or mud, especially during rains. However, melioidosis takes on its most lethal form when the bacteria become airborne, especially after severe weather events. During these phenomena, the bacteria can aerosolize, being inhaled by people and causing a severe form of the disease that manifests as severe pneumonia accompanied by septicemia. This modality affects even healthy people, which highlights the danger of the microorganism in specific conditions.
Professor Currie highlights that the recent recurrence of intense weather events, linked to three consecutive years of La Niña patterns, has been one of the causes of this increase in infections in the Northern Territory. Heavy rains and flooding have not only affected this region, but have also contributed to creating the environment for melioidosis cases to increase. The connection between climate change and the resurgence of this infection seems clear, and experts believe that it will be a growing problem in the north of the country.
Other factors also contribute to the increase in cases. In recent years, there has been an increase in people with health conditions that increase the risk of infection, such as diabetes, increasing the vulnerability of the population. Furthermore, the construction of new housing complexes, where the bacteria is already present in the soil, could increase people’s exposure to this dangerous disease. The alteration of the terrain to excavate foundations and remove soil generates a release of these bacteria into the air, exposing the inhabitants of new urban developments to this latent risk.
According to Professor Currie, melioidosis has evolved in Australia for millions of years, spreading to Southeast Asia, Africa and, more recently, the United States. With rising global temperatures and changing rainfall patterns, the disease has appeared in places where it has never been detected. In Australia, experts are monitoring the progress of the bacteria towards the south, because although there is still no confirmation of its presence in areas such as southern Australia or New South Wales, it is not ruled out that climate change will accelerate this spread. in the coming years. Recent flooding in inland areas of Australia, as well as metropolitan areas such as Brisbane, has already allowed melioidosis to be detected in areas outside the tropics.
As the scientific community adapts to this emerging challenge, the picture could change with the development of a potential vaccine. During the 10th World Melioidosis Congress recently held in Darwin, researchers from around the world gathered to discuss advances in the fight against this disease. Early results from immunization studies have raised hopes, and experts estimate that a vaccine to protect the most vulnerable groups could be ready within a few years.
Melioidosis represents not only a local threat to northern Australia, but a global danger driven by climate change and environmental disruptions. In the coming decades, it could become a common threat in areas where global warming and flooding shift the ecological balance, showing how infectious diseases find new and broader ways to spread in a changing world.
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