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Review
. 2018 Mar 1;3(1):27.
doi: 10.3390/tropicalmed3010027.

Melioidosis: An Australian Perspective

Simon Smith  1   2 , Josh Hanson  3   4   5 , Bart J Currie  6   7
Affiliations
Review

Melioidosis: An Australian Perspective

Simon Smith et al. Trop Med Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Burkholderia pseudomallei is endemic in northern Australia, with cases of melioidosis most commonly occurring during the wet season in individuals with diabetes, hazardous alcohol use, and chronic kidney disease. Pneumonia is the most common presentation and the majority of patients are bacteraemic-however, infection may involve almost any organ, with the skin and soft tissues, genitourinary system, visceral organs, and bone and joints affected most commonly. Central nervous system involvement is rarer, but has a high attributable mortality. Increased awareness of the disease amongst healthcare providers, ready access to appropriate antibiotic therapy and high-quality intensive care services has resulted in a sharp decline in the case fatality rate over the last 20 years. Further improvement in clinical outcomes will require a greater understanding of the disease's pathophysiology, its optimal management, and more effective strategies for its prevention.

Keywords: Australia; melioidosis; tropical medicine.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The geographic distribution of confirmed human cases (A), animal cases (B), and environmental isolates (C) of culture-confirmed B. pseudomallei.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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