Melioidosis: An Australian Perspective
1
Department of Medicine, Cairns Hospital, Cairns, QLD 4870, Australia
2
James Cook University Clinical School, Cairns Hospital, Cairns, QLD 4870, Australia
3
Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0811, Australia
4
The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
5
Department of Infectious Diseases, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, NT 0811, Australia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2018, 3(1), 27; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed3010027
Received: 31 January 2018 / Revised: 21 February 2018 / Accepted: 22 February 2018 / Published: 1 March 2018
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Burden and Challenges of Melioidosis)
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.
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Keywords:
melioidosis; Australia; tropical medicine
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MDPI and ACS Style
Smith, S.; Hanson, J.; Currie, B.J. Melioidosis: An Australian Perspective. Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2018, 3, 27.
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