Case Series of Melioidosis in a Tertiary Health Care Centre in Puducherry, India

Easow, Joshy M. and Bhosale, Namrata K. and Pramodhini, S. and Priyadarshini, Ramya (2024) Case Series of Melioidosis in a Tertiary Health Care Centre in Puducherry, India. JOURNAL OF PURE AND APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, 18.0 (1). pp. 185-192. ISSN 0973-7510

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

Melioidosis, a potentially fatal disease caused by the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei continues to be neglected in the Indian Subcontinent despite bearing about 44% of the global burden. Diagnosis poses a significant challenge since the disease presents a wide range of symptoms and closely mimics tuberculosis and pneumonia both of which are endemic in India. Sophisticated diagnosis and treatment often become unaffordable for patients from rural or low-income backgrounds. We present five cases of melioidosis from a tertiary care hospital (Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute ) in Pondicherry that exhibited predominantly high-grade fever, abdominal pain, and vomiting. Radiological imaging revealed abnormalities in the brain (1/5, 20%), lung (3/5, 60%), liver (2/5, 40%), spleen (2/5, 40%), kidney (2/5, 40%), and prostate gland (1/5, 20%). Burkholderia pseudomallei infection was confirmed through blood culture. Treatment with meropenem or ceftazidime was initiated immediately. Neuromelioidosis was confirmed in one patient. The clinical diagnoses for the remaining cases were as follows: septic shock, melioidosis with urosepsis, and refractory shock. Three patients required intensive care and of the five, one patient was discharged, one died, and three discontinued treatments against medical advice. In the case of the deceased patient, the clinical diagnosis encompassed refractory shock accompanied by lactic acidosis, melioidosis, and community -acquired pneumonia, which subsequently progressed to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Notably, this patient presented with co -morbidities, notably type 2 diabetes mellitus. This exemplifies the difficulty faced by patients from low-income backgrounds which forces them to discontinue expensive treatment. The true burden of melioidosis in the Indian Subcontinent is uncertain as many cases remain undiagnosed. Unawareness of the disease, low index of suspicion among medical professionals, incorrect treatment, and discontinuation contribute to the disease burden. It is therefore imperative that melioidosis is brought to the attention of healthcare policymakers to determine the true burden of the disease by prioritizing nationwide surveillance and diagnosis.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Melioidosis, Burkholderia pseudomallei, Meropenem, Neuromelioidosis
Subjects: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology > Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Immunology and Microbiology > Microbiology
Divisions: Engineering and Technology > Aarupadai Veedu Institute of Technology, Chennai, India
Medicine > Aarupadai Veedu Medical College and Hospital, Puducherry, India
Nursing > Vinayaka Mission's Annapoorna College of Nursing, Salem
Medicine > Vinayaka Mission's Medical College and Hospital, Karaikal
Nursing > Vinayaka Mission's College of Nursing, Karaikal
Nursing > Vinayaka Mission's College of Nursing, Puducherry
Pharmacy > Vinayaka Mission’s College of Pharmacy, Salem
Physiotherapy > Vinayaka Mission's College of Physiotherapy, Salem
Homoeopathy > Vinayaka Mission's Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital, Salem
Medicine > Vinayaka Mission's Kirupananda Variyar Medical College and Hospital, Salem
Arts and Science > Vinayaka Mission's Kirupananda Variyar Arts and Science College, Salem, India
Engineering and Technology > Vinayaka Mission's Kirupananda Variyar Engineering College, Salem, India
Law > Vinayaka Mission's Law School, Chennai
Medicine > Vinayaka Mission's Medical College, Kottucherry
Medicine > Vinayaka Mission's Medical College, Puducherry
Physical Education > Vinayaka Mission's College of Physical Education, Salem
Interdisciplinary Studies > Vinayaka Mission's School of Health Systems, Chennai
Dentistry > Vinayaka Mission‘s Sankarachariyar Dental College, Salem
Liberal Arts > Vinayaka Mission's School of Economics and Public Policy, Chennai
Depositing User: Unnamed user with email techsupport@mosys.org
Last Modified: 06 Feb 2026 07:10
URI: https://ir.vmrfdu.edu.in/id/eprint/6763

Actions (login required)

View Item
View Item