ABSTRACT
Those infected with B. pseudomallei may not have symptoms; however, symptomatic patients range from mild fever, skin ulcer, cavitating pneumonia, and soft tissue abscesses to severe brain inflammation of the joints. Severe sepsis due to melioidosis is the cause of death. Nearly 10–15% of patients with melioidosis may have persistent low-grade symptoms over 2 months, termed ‘chronic melioidosis’. The signs and symptoms of melioidosis are similar to tuberculosis, and most of the time, it is misdiagnosed and mismanaged. Diagnosis is confirmed by the culture growth of B. pseudomallei from blood or other tissue fluid.
The drug treatment of melioidosis is biphasic. An ‘intensive phase’ of intravenous ceftazidime or meropenem is followed by a 3–6 months treatment course of co-trimoxazole.
