Burkholderia pseudomallei: Melioidosis
2012
Sprague, Lisa D. | Elschner, Mandy C.
Melioidosis is an infectious disease of humans and animals caused by the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei. The agent has an extremely broad host range; among domestic animals, melioidosis is most commonly reported in sheep, goats, and swine. But sporadic cases or small outbreaks of the disease have been reported in a variety of animals, such as the monkey, gibbon, orang-utan, kangaroo, wallaby, deer, buffalo, cow, camel, llama, zebra, koala, dog, cat, horse, mule, parrot, rat, hamster, rabbit, guinea pig, ground squirrel, seal, dolphin, and crocodile. The clinical picture can present itself in various forms: acute fulminate septicemia, local infection, subacute illness, chronic infection, and subclinical disease. The incubation period for naturally occurring infection in animals is not known. Melioidosis occurs in tropical areas between latitudes 20 °N and 20 °S, predominantly in southeast Asia and northern Australia. Cases in animals have also been reported from China, Thailand, the Indian subcontinent, Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Chad, South Africa, Taiwan, Singapore, and Brazil. Sporadic outbreaks have occurred in France and the United Kingdom; moreover, the agent has been isolated from horses in Spain and from drinking water in Italy. Melioidosis must be considered an emerging disease. Not only migration and animal transport around the world but also tourism increases the risk of the disease leaving its known endemic boundaries and establish itself elsewhere.
Show more [+] Less [-]AGROVOC Keywords
Bibliographic information
Publisher John Wiley & Sons
This bibliographic record has been provided by Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut
