Title: Study of Incidence of Melioidosis for a period of two years in a Tertiary care Hospital in North Kerala, South India
Authors: R Manasi, MD Microbiology, Payyappilly R J, MD Microbiology, DMV (Virology)
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v5i6.43
Abstract
Burkholderia pseudomallei is a saprophytic organism found in soil and water predominant in Southeast Asian countries, India and North Australia.
In India many cases have been reported in recent years. This study was undertaken to analyze the varied clinical presentation and increased incidence of melioidosis. We carried out a prospective study of two years from May2015 to April2017 and got three culture positive cases at a tertiary care hospital in North Kerala, South India.
Melioidosis being one of the most potent emerging infections in Indiahigh degree of suspicion must be maintained for prompt diagnosis and management. Clinical presentation of melioidosis varies from acute septicemia to chronic infections. Melioidosis is a ‘great mimicker’ of tuberculosis like infections and community acquired pneumonias
Microbiological culture remains the standard method for the diagnosis of melioidosis. Treatment is usually divided into two phases, intensive phase for 10-14 days and eradication phase for a minimum of 12- 24 weeks. No licensed vaccine is available for melioidosis.
The commonest risk factor in our study was diabetes mellitus. Fever was the most common presentation(100%) followed by abscesses(66.7%). Two of the patients got infected during their occupation so it makes it important to think melioidosis as an occupational infection.
It is found that there is an increase in incidence of melioidosis in India, as the rest of the world. Increase in diabetic patients is a major risk factor for the incidence and also increased awareness among clinicials and microbiologists have also resulted in better diagnosis and identification
Keywords: Burkholderia pseudomallei, melioidosis, incidence, risk factor.
