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Case Reports
. 2018 Sep 4;18(1):452.
doi: 10.1186/s12879-018-3364-6.

First co-infection case of melioidosis and Japanese encephalitis in China

X Y Li  1 , B X Ke  2 , C N Chen  3 , H L Xiao  4 , M Z Liu  2 , Y C Xiong  4 , R Bai  2 , J D Chen  2 , C W Ke  5   6
Affiliations
Case Reports

First co-infection case of melioidosis and Japanese encephalitis in China

X Y Li et al. BMC Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Background: Melioidosis is endemic in Southeast Asia and northern Australia. Infection usually follows percutaneous inoculation or inhalation or ingestion of the causative bacterium, Burkholderia pseudomallei, which is present in soil and surface water in endemic regions. Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a vector-borne viral zoonosis caused by Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), leading to epidemic encephalitis in Southeast Asia. Both B. pseudomallei and JEV have spread dominantly in the Hainan and Guangdong provinces in China. Here we reported the first case of co-infection of B. pseudomallei and JEV, which was discovered in Huizhou in the Guangdong province in June 2016.

Case presentation: A 52-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with acute febrile illness and headache, diagnosed as respiratory infection, central nervous system (CNS) infection, septicemia, and hepatic dysfunction. Based on B. pseudomallei-positive blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cultures, the patient was diagnosed with melioidosis and treated aggressively with antibiotics. However, the patient failed to make a full recovery. Further laboratory tests focused on CNS infection were conducted. The co-infection of B. pseudomallei and JEV was confirmed after the positive IgM antibodies of JEV were detected in both CSF and blood. After diagnosis of co-infection with B. pseudomallei and JEV, the patient was provided supportive care in hospital and recovered after approximately 3 weeks.

Conclusion: Given the possibility of co-infection of B. pseudomallei and JEV, as well as variable case presentations, it is critical to enhance the awareness, detection, and treatment of co-infection in regard to melioidosis.

Keywords: Burkholderia pseudomallei; Central nervous system infection; Co-infection; First case; JEV.

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Not applicable.

Consent for publication

Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report. A copy of the consent form is available for review by the Editor-in-Chief of this journal.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The isolation of B. pseudomallei in blood plate
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The detail results of biochemical detection. (+) side represents positive item, (−)side represents negative item
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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