Melioidosis in Colombia. An Emerging Disease

Abstract

PURPOSE: Describe the Clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, radiologic manifestations and geographic localization of the cases with Melioidosis in Antioquia (Colombia) METHODS: We performed a retrospective case series and included patients diagnosed with Melioidosis in the Hospital Universitario San Vicente de Paul (HUSVP) in Medellin. RESULTS: We describe Clinical manifestations, laboratory findings , radiologic manifestations and geographic localization in our patients with a diagnosis of melioidosis.Burkholderia pseudomallei was isolated from peripheral blood and urine and was identify by automated system Vitek 1-bioMerieux. Three of them had a bacteremic form with shock and pulmonary compromise and two of those died. We also describe a nonbacteremic melioidosis cases, with genitourinary and osteoarticular manifestations. All patients had co-morbidities and lived in rural hot and humid areas at the West central Region of Colombia (Antioquia). Diabetes mellitus, renal insufficiency, and other chronic diseases are important risk factors for the development of severe forms of Melioidoses CONCLUSIONS: In in our patients we found that the clinical presentations, risk factors and environmental conditions in our conutry are similar to endemic areas such as, Malaysia, Southwest of Thailand, and North of Australia. In Colombia, there is only a published case of non bacteremic Melioidosis. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The finding of this cases coming from areas where the disease is possible, presents the need to establish whether Melioidosis is an endemic and undiagnosed disease or it is an emerging new illness in our country, with test for serologic evidence of exposure to B. pseudomallei and prospective surveillance study.