| Description: |
[Extract] Melioidosis is an infective disease caused by Burkholderia pseudowiallei. It is endemic in Northern Queensland and other parts of tropical Australia. The infection may be disseminated or localised, and may present as acute fulminant septicaemia, subacute illness, chronic infection, or subclinical disease. The lungs are most frequently affected, though the skin, subcutaneous tissues, bones, joints, liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, bladder, prostate, genital organs, brain, meninges, parotid glands, lymph nodes and pericardium may be involved. Diagnosis of the disease is not necessarily difficult, being made absolutely by culture of the causative organism from blood or pus, or presumptively using serological testing. However, assessment of disease extent, especially involvement of soft tissues, can be problematic. |