Melioidosis caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei in drinking water, Thailand, 2012.
Limmathurotsakul D., Wongsuvan G., Aanensen D., Ngamwilai S., Saiprom N., Rongkard P., Thaipadungpanit J., Kanoksil M., Chantratita N., Day NPJ., Peacock SJ.
We identified 10 patients in Thailand with culture-confirmed melioidosis who had Burkholderia pseudomallei isolated from their drinking water. The multilocus sequence type of B. pseudomallei from clinical specimens and water samples were identical for 2 patients. This finding suggests that drinking water is a preventable source of B. pseudomallei infection.