Skip to main content
Like
Create new Glog
previous
next
Email share
36 views | 0 likes | 0 reposts
Melioidosis Transmitted: There are only few unusual cases documented for person-to-person transmission; no isolation is required for patient with melioidosis. Touching soil, mud, and surface water is never advised in areas of high risk. Symptoms: Symptoms may include pain in chest, bones, or joints; cough; skin infections, lung nodules and pneumonia. Description: A patient with active melioidosis usually presents with fever. Pain or other symptoms may be suggestive of a clinical focus, which is found in around 75% of patients. Such symptoms include cough or pleuritic chest pain suggestive of pneumonia, bone or joint pain suggestive of osteomyelitis or septic arthritis, or cellulitis.
Prevention : In endemic areas, people (rice-paddy farmers in particular) are warned to avoid contact with soil, mud and surface water where possible. Case clusters have been described following flooding and cyclones and probably relate to exposure. Populations at risk include patients with diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure, chronic lung disease or patients with an immune deficiency of any kind. The effectiveness of measures to reduce exposure to the causative organism have not been established. A vaccine is not yet available.
Treatment : The treatment of melioidosis is divided into two stages, an intravenous high intensity stage and an oral maintenance stage to prevent recurrence. ''Intravenous ceftazidime'' is the current drug of choice for treatment of acute melioidosis. Meropenem, imipenem and cefoperazone-sulbactam (Sulperazone) are also active. Following the treatment of the acute disease, it is recommended that eradication (or maintenance) treatment with co-trimoxazole and doxycycline be used for 12 to 20 weeks to reduce the rate of recurrence.
Melioidosis = Bacteria
