Melioidosis

Endemic in SE Asia and northern Australia.

The clinical illness may be acute, sub-acute or chronic; reactivation of latent infection may occur. Localised infection may progress rapidly to septicaemia.

Blood culture, sputum microscopy and culture, wound swab, throat swab, rectal swab, urine (males) or tissue biopsy; Burkholderia pseudomallei antibodies are of only limited clinical utility.

Common sites include skin, lymph node, bone, brain, lung, myocardium and liver.