In September 2021, a total of 25 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 developed acute melioidosis after (median 7 days) admission to a COVID-19 field hospital in Thailand. Eight nonpotable tap water samples and 6 soil samples were culture-positive for Burkholderia pseudomallei. Genomic analysis suggested contaminated tap water as the likely cause of illness.
Keywords: Burkholderia pseudomallei; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Thailand; coronavirus disease; melioidosis; respiratory infections; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; tap water; vaccine-preventable diseases; viruses; zoonoses.