Melioidosis, also referred to as Whitmore's disease, is attributed to the presence of Burkholderia pseudomallei bacteria and carries a fatality rate of approximately 40%.
The Quang Nam Department of Health announced on Monday that the Tam Tri Quang Nam General Hospital recently admitted a patient from Que Son District displaying symptoms such as high fever, fatigue, and breathing difficulties. After careful evaluation, the medical professionals diagnosed the patient with severe pneumonia and closely monitored her for sepsis.
In addition to that, she was also grappling with type 1 diabetes, which led to elevated blood sugar levels.
However, despite the best efforts of the doctors, her condition continued to worsen and she was ultimately moved to the Da Nang Hospital. Tragically, she passed away there.
The test results indicated that she had been infected with Burkholderia pseudomallei.
The exact cause of her infection remains a mystery, and there is no evidence to suggest that any of her family members contracted the disease.
In Thanh Hoa Province, a tragic incident occurred last month where a 15-year-old girl lost her life to melioidosis. Initially presenting symptoms such as a sore throat, cough, and high fever, her condition quickly deteriorated, leading to respiratory circulatory failure, cyanosis, and ultimately loss of consciousness.
Individuals become infected with the disease when they come into direct contact with bacteria-contaminated soil or water while having open wounds on their skin.
The initial detection of the disease occurred in Vietnam back in 1925.
Every year, approximately 10,000 cases of this disease are recorded globally, predominantly occurring during the rainy season. Tragically, nearly half of these cases result in fatalities. Regrettably, there is currently no vaccine available to combat this illness.
Doctors administer multiple courses of antibiotics over a span of several months to effectively treat the disease.
