How does melioidosis affect the body?

melioidosis can spread from the skin through the blood to become a chronic form of melioidosis affecting the heart, brain, liver, kidneys, joints, and eyes (disseminated). Symptoms of disseminated melioidosis infection include fever, weight loss, stomach or chest pain, muscle or joint pain, headache, and seizures.

Likewise, what are the symptoms of melioidosis?

Symptoms of melioidosis

cough with normal sputum (the mixture of saliva and mucus that can rise into the throat from coughing) or no sputum, called a nonproductive cough.
chest pain during breathing.
high fever.
headache and general muscle soreness.
weight loss.

Also, how common is melioidosis? Melioidosis is a rare disease in the United States, but it is common in tropical or subtropical areas of the world, including Southeast Asia, Africa, and Australia. The signs and symptoms of the disease can vary greatly and may mimic those of tuberculosis or common forms of pneumonia.

Also Know, can melioidosis be cured?

Melioidosis, infection with Burkholderia pseudomallei, is being recognised with increasing frequency and is probably more common than currently appreciated. Some patients with very mild infections can probably be cured by oral agents alone.

What is melioidosis infection?

Melioidosis, also called Whitmore's disease, is an infectious disease that can infect humans or animals. The disease is caused by the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei. The bacteria causing melioidosis are found in contaminated water and soil.

21 Related Question Answers Found

Can you die from melioidosis?

They cause a disease that can make people very sick. Without prompt treatment with specific antibiotics, people sick with melioidosis can die.

How do you test for melioidosis?

The diagnosis of melioidosis is made with a microscopic evaluation of a blood, urine, sputum, or skin-lesion sample in the laboratory. A blood test is useful to detect early acute cases of melioidosis, but it cannot exclude the illness if it is negative.

How is melioidosis contracted?

Transmission. People can get Melioidosis through direct contact with contaminated soil and surface waters. Humans and animals are believed to acquire the infection by inhalation of contaminated dust or water droplets, ingestion of contaminated water, and contact with contaminated soil, especially through skin abrasions

What disease can you get from soil?

In addition to tetanus, anthrax, and botulism, soil bacteria may cause gastrointestinal, wound, skin, and respiratory tract diseases.

Where is melioidosis found?

Melioidosis is a disease caused by bacteria called Burkholderia pseudomallei. The disease occurs mostly in tropical areas of the world, primarily Southeast Asia and northern parts of Australia. In Queensland, infection occurs mainly in north Queensland but can occur in southern parts of the state.

How is glanders transmitted?

The bacteria that cause glanders are transmitted to humans through contact with tissues or body fluids of infected animals. The bacteria enter the body through cuts or abrasions in the skin and through mucosal surfaces such as the eyes and nose.

What is the cause of Q fever?

Q fever is caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii, commonly found in sheep, goats and cattle. The bacterium can also infect pets, including cats, dogs and rabbits. These animals transmit the bacteria through their urine, feces, milk and birthing products — such as the placenta and amniotic fluid.

What are the characteristics of the disease melioidosis caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei?

Melioidosis is caused by gram-negative, motile, saprophytic bacteria named Burkholderia pseudomallei. The bacteria are generally found in the environment but can be opportunistic, facultative intracellular pathogens. The bacteria are also aerobic and oxidase test positive.

How is Q fever spread?

How Q fever is spread. The bacteria pass into milk, urine and faeces of infected animals and during birthing, large numbers of organisms are shed in the birth products. Contaminated clothing, wool, hides or straw may also be a source of infection. Person-to-person spread is extremely unlikely.

Can dogs get melioidosis?

Melioidosis is a bacterial infection of humans and animals. The disease-causing agent is Burkholderia pseudomallei, which occurs in the soil and water throughout southeast Asia, northern Australia, and the South Pacific. Species such as dogs and cats may succumb to infection due to a weakened immune system.

Where is Burkholderia pseudomallei found?

Burkholderia pseudomallei (also known as Pseudomonas pseudomallei) is a Gram-negative, bipolar, aerobic, motile rod-shaped bacterium. It is a soil-dwelling bacterium endemic in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, particularly in Thailand and northern Australia.

What is glander disease?

Glanders is an infectious disease that is caused by the bacterium Burkholderia mallei. While people can get the disease, glanders is primarily a disease affecting horses. It also affects donkeys and mules and can be naturally contracted by other mammals such as goats, dogs, and cats.

Who discovered melioidosis?

Background and History

The pathologist Alfred Whitmore and his assistant C. S. Krishnaswami first described melioidosis as a “glanders-like” disease among morphia addicts in Rangoon, Burma, in 1911 (474, 475). They recognized a new organism that fulfilled Koch's postulates for causation of disease.

What diseases can you get from dirt?

In addition to tetanus, anthrax, and botulism, soil bacteria may cause gastrointestinal, wound, skin, and respiratory tract diseases. The systemic fungi are largely acquired via inhalation from contaminated soil and near-soil environments.

Where is whooping cough most likely to be found in the body?

Bordetella pertussis causes the disease, and is not found in any animal or environmental reservoirs, but resides in the mouth, nose, and throat of humans (1).

What disease does Burkholderia cepacia cause?

B cepacia can produce severe lung infections in young people with cystic fibrosis, often late in the course of the disease. It is associated with blood infections (bacteremia) in premature babies who are hospitalized for long periods of time.

What is tropical pneumonia?

[Tropical pneumonia: pulmonary melioidosis]. Melioidosis is a disease that is endemic in North Australia and Southeast Asia, caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei. This Gram-negative organism can affect all organs, but presents most commonly as severe pneumonia.