Three Whitmore’s disease cases detected in Vietnam
VOV.VN - Three latest cases of Whitmore’s disease, also known as melioidosis, have been recorded in the Central Highland of Dak Lak and the central province of Thanh Hoa, according to the Ministry of Health.
A woman in Dak Lak tested positive for melioidosis along with an underlying condition of Type 2 diabetes after suffering severe abdominal pain, the ministry said on November 11.
The second patient, a 15-year-old boy, was diagnosed with Whitmore’s disease plus septic shock and multiple organ failure after walking in the rain on the way home from school.
The third case, a 10-year-old-boy, was detected as the patient had symptoms of high fever and parotid gland swelling. After 30 days of swollen salivary gland treatment, he tested positive for melioidosis at Vietnam National Children's Hospital.
According to Director of the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases Do Duy Cuong, Whitmore’s disease is a dangerous acute infectious disease caused by a bacterium called Burkholderia pseudomallei. The bacterium exists in contaminated water and soil. Transmission to humans and animals is through skin contact with the contaminated source or the inhalation of particles containing the bacterium.
Cuong said the rainy season provides good conditions for the development of the bacterium. The disease has a high mortality rate of approximately 40% if the patient is misdiagnosed and does not receive proper treatment.
Currently, there is no vaccine for the disease.