What are the symptoms?
The symptoms of melioidosis depend on
the site of the infection and this can vary.
Often it starts as a chest infection with
shortness of breath, productive cough and
fever. Other possible presentations include
fever with headache and confusion, or pain and/or difficulty passing urine. People
can become ill from 1 to 21 days after
being infected and the onset of symptoms
may be sudden or gradual. The infection
can be fatal and melioidosis requires
urgent medical attention and treatment
with specific antibiotics.
In some cases the illness may come
on much more slowly with weight loss,
intermittent fever, chest pain and a cough.
Some people may present with skin
ulcers, boils or joint or bone infections.
There have also been cases where the
disease has caused illness many years
after the initial infection. In these cases,
the bacteria have been carried by the
person and have become active due to a
weakening of the immune system.
The diagnosis of melioidosis is made by
growing the bacteria with laboratory testing
of blood, sputum, urine or a swab from an
abscess or non-healing ulcer