Definition of Melioidosis
Melioidosis: An infectious illness, also called Whitmore's
disease, that is most frequent in Southeast Asia and Northern
Australia and is caused by a bacteria called "Pseudomonas
pseudomallei" found in soil, rice paddies and stagnant waters.
Humans catch the disease by inhalation of contaminated dust or when
soil contaminated by the bacteria comes in contact with abraded
(scraped) skin.
Melioidosis most commonly involves the lungs where the infection can
form a cavity of pus (abscess). The bacteria can also spread from the
skin through the bloodstream the brain, eyes, heart, liver, kidneys,
and joints.
The common symptoms of melioidosis are not specific. They include
headaches, fever, chills, cough, chest pain, and loss of appetite.
Melioidosis can also cause encephalitis (brain inflammation) with
seizures (convulsions).
The diagnosis is by a microscopic evaluation of a sputum (spit)
sample in the laboratory. A blood test may detect early acute cases
of melioidosis.
The treatment of melioidosis involves antibiotics and depends on the
location of the disease:
- Mild illness: Antibiotics such as chloramphenicol, doxycycline,
sulfisoxazole, or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.
- More severe illness: A combination of chloramphenicol,
doxycycline, and co-trimoxazole.
- Very severe illness (as with persistent blood
infection): Intravenous antibiotics including
chloramphenicol.
- If sputum cultures remain positive for
6 months: Surgical removal of the lung abscess with lobectomy is
considered. Antibiotic treatments may be necessary from 3 to 12
months.
Melioidosis can remain latent (in hiding) for years and emerge when a
person's resistance is low.
The alternative name for melioidosis is, as mentioned, Whitmore's
disease. This is in honor of Major Alfred Whitmore (1876-1946), an
English surgeon in India.
Last Editorial Review: 12/1/1998Common Misspellings: meliodosis
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