Melioidosis
Melioidosis Causes
The main cause of course is the organism, Burkholderia pseudomallei, which is phylogenetically related to Burkholderia mallei which is the infectious organism that is the cause of glanders.
Melioidosis Definition
This disease is defined as an infectious disease caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei which is found in soil and in water. There are certain places where this bacterium is specially prevalent such as Thailand and Australia and that care must be given to those who might be traveling in parts of these areas where the diseases is prevalent.
Melioidosis Diagnosis
Diagnosis for melioidosis once suspicion of its origin is confirmed can be made definitively by making a culture from any clinical sample and identifying the organism.
Melioidosis Symptoms and Signs
A patient usually experiences fever accompanied with pain and other symptoms such as cough or pleuritic chest pain which can be suggestive of pneumonia; bone or joint pain that could be mistaken for osteomyelitis, septic arthritis, or even cellulitis. There is also intra-abdominal infection such as liver abscesses. Chronic melioidosis can also even mimic tuberculosis and is actually called "Vietnamese tuberculosis".
Melioidosis Treatment
Treatment for the disease is a two-step approach; the first step involves a high intensity intravenous stage and the second step involves an aggressive oral maintenance stage to keep the disease from recurring.