Caused by a gram negative bacteria Burkholderia Pseudomallei.

B. Pseudomallei is an aerobic, motile bacillus.

Colony appears on Ashdown's agar as irregular-edge and pale purple

Found in contaminated soil and water

Previously endemic in Southeast Asia and Northern Australia. As of 2022, endemic in the Gulf Coast region of Mississippi

General symptoms typically appear 1-21 days after exposure.

Untreated, Melioidosis has a mortality rate of 100%

When treated, mortality rate drops to 20-30%

-pain, fever, ulceration, abcess

Pulmonary Infection

-Cough, chest pain, high fever, headache, anorexia

Blood infection

-fever, headache, respiratory distress, abdominal or joint pain, disorientation

Disseminated infection

- fever, weight loss, stomach or chest pain, muscle or joint pain, headache, Central Nervous System or Brain infection, Seizures

Protective clothing such as rubber boots and gloves

Individuals with Diabetes and skin lesions need to avoid contact with contaminated soil and standing water.

Humans or animals may become infected.

It is not transmitted person to person.

Intensive phase, in which regimens containing some of the following drugs may be used:

Cotrimoxazole

Ceftazidime

Meropenem

Filgrastim (G-CSF) in case of septic shock

The intensive phase is carried on for 14 days or more depending on the infection

Eradication phase, which may include some of the following drugs:

Cotrimoxazole

Doxycycline

Amoxycillin

Chloramphenicol

The eradication phase is carried on for 3-6 months.

• Septicemia

• Organ failure

• Pneumothorax (collapsed thorax)

• Cardiac tamponade (fluid buildup in the pericardial area)

• Recurrence of infection

• Inflammation of the brain and brain covering or brain abscess

• Pyelonephritis, kidney abscess or prostatic abscesses

• Neck or salivary gland abscesses

• Liver, spleen, or paraintestinal abscesses