Burkholderia thailandensis, an opportunistic pathogen found in the environment, is a bacterium closely related to B. pseudomallei, the cause of melioidosis. Human B. thailandensis infections are uncommon. We isolated B. thailandensis from water in Texas and Puerto Rico and soil in Mississippi in the United States, demonstrating a potential public health risk.
Keywords: Arkansas; Burkholderia; Burkholderia pseudomallei; Burkholderia thailandensis; Louisiana; Mississippi; Oklahoma; Puerto Rico; Texas; United States; Western Hemisphere; bacteria; environmental pathogens; genomic islands; local adaptation; water; waterborne infections.